The Process

The process usually starts with the FAA, NTSB, and others, who will look over the situation to comply with Federal law.

The results are then made public and we get inquiry calls when an attorney contemplates court action or an insurance company, trying to subrogate some heavy costs, calls for another look into the investigation.

The court looks at an Aircraft accident first as a pilot involved situation, such as pilot error. Then a detailed look into the weather factors and conditions at the time of accident to determine if the accident could have been weather related.

Once I had the opportunity to enlighten some people (Military Officers) when a foreign pilot could no longer control his F-5F 2 seater and pulled the handle on the ejection seat when a 3 inch steel pin in the drive assembly sheared.

The aircraft company said it was still controllable (it is very difficult) and the aircraft would have recovered. The students did not know that, so he bailed and landed in his own tribal area, and as a gift of life from heaven and Allah, it took 3 days to get him back up in the air. The pin shear did happen in-flight and I could prove it.

Civil pilots and aircraft are normally at the core of litigation brought on by attorneys and insurance companies. The insurance companies are usually the target of the lawsuits.

I can testify in court as an expert witness. I have 16,000 hrs of flight time plus a Commercial License, with Instruments. My experience also includes: CFI (Instructor), AF Command Pilot, and IP Duty AFSC 1115Z Flight Test. I have flight time in many types of aircraft, from seaplanes to jets, with expert knowledge in maintenance and quality control.

Aircraft accidents are far apart, time consuming, and sometimes a bit expensive. There are not many private companies who investigate aircraft accidents and incidents in the Southwest.