Aviation Expert Witness

qualifications of Philip Greenspun, updated August 2009

This document summarizes my qualifications to be an expert witness in aviation-related lawsuits.

Education

Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1999.

FAA Certificates

Airline Transport Pilot certificate with multi-engine airplane, seaplane, and helicopter ratings. The certificate includes an SIC type rating for the CL-65 Canadair Regional Jet.

Flight Instructor certificate with airplane, helicopter, and instrument ratings.

Note: these certificates can be verified at the FAA Airmen's Registry.

Aviation Experience

Airline pilot in FAA Part 121 operation, flying the 50-seat CRJ for Delta Airlines's Comair subsidiary. Operated from most of the busiest airports in the Northeast, including JFK, LGA, EWR, BOS, PHL, DCA, and IAD.

More than 1000 hours of experience instructing airplane and helicopter students, training students to fly the Cirrus SR20 airplane and Robinson helicopters. Serve as Chief Pilot for an FAA Part 141 helicopter school. More than 3000 hours of total flying experience. Experience flying in Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean, the U.K., France, Austria, Israel, Argentina, Panama, South Africa, and Namibia.

Two trips to Alaska, one in a Diamond Star DA40 and one in an Cirrus SR20. Multiple coast-to-coast trips in Robinson R44 helicopters.

Started and managed a helicopter sightseeing operation in the Boston area.

Have been the owner-operator of several airplanes and helicopters. Have prepared applications for two Part 135 charter certificates from the FAA.

Am the author of numerous articles on aviation, available at http://philip.greenspun.com/flying/.

Expert Witness Experience

Have served as an expert witness for Amazon.com, Xerox, and Google in patent cases. Have served as an expert witness for an enterprise software vendor defending a $250 million claim by another software company (contract dispute), testifying in Delaware Chancery Court.

Video Clips

I am frequently called upon by Boston-area television stations to comment on aviation-related stories. Being an expert witness is a form of teaching, so I'm also including links to some material prepared for students. Here are a few clips:

2009 story on mid-air collision in Hudson River corridor
2006 story on the Cory Lidle accident in the East River (commenting before all of the information was in, but my conjecture as to the cause of the accident turned out to be correct)
Briefing an Instrument Approach, a tutorial for IFR students
Airport and Heliport Operations, a lesson for beginners

Specific Aviation Litigation Areas of Expertise

In an aviation lawsuit, I should be qualified to testify on at least the following subjects:

training of pilots
operation of airplanes and helicopters in both VFR and IFR conditions
avionics design and user interface, including glass cockpits
airplane handling characteristics and workload demands on pilots
airline and charter company procedures
helicopter sightseeing operations
Diamond Star DA40, Cirrus SR20, Cirrus SR22, Robinson R44, and Robinson R22
FAA regulations
air traffic control procedures
aeronautical decision-making
aviation weather services and flight planning

Contact

philg@mit.edu or (617) 864-6832.

References

Upon request, I will be happy to provide references from Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman and Klarquist Sparkman.