Bert Botta
Office: 415-320-9811
Current August 15, 2023: Specialties: Personal Injury, Aviation Passenger & Cargo Accident Investigation, Psychological and Emotional Contributors to Airline, Corporate and General Aviation Accidents and Incidents, Accident Reconstruction.
Airline, General Aviation, Corporate Aircraft Accidents, Incidents, Airline Flight Crews, Airline Passenger/Cargo Accidents, Corporate Flight Crews, Pilot Judgment, Pilot Performance, Charter, Accidents, Incidents, Cockpit Resource Management.
The Reconstruction of Aviation Accident and Incident causes via the study of often overlooked Psychological and Emotional causes.
"Bert, I am pleased to report that we resolved the case yesterday with a positive (yet confidential result).
The information you provided for the case allowed my clients and me to show the defense that we were worthy adversaries and knew what should have been done and what hadn’t been done in training and the flight. Without your expertise, we wouldn’t have been so successful.
Again, I want to thank you for your time on this case. I’ve not handled an aviation case before, and you (and the aerobatic expert you brought onto the case) were both great!"
Thank you,
Katie
The 35 years that Bert spent as a Major Airline and Corporate Jet Captain, and Certified FAA Check Airman included a part-time Private Practice as a Licensed Professional Counselor in the states of Missouri, Florida, and New Mexico.
In his practice as a Licensed Professional Counselor, he used Psychological and Emotional principles that were invaluable in determining "cause and effect" in the training and flight-checking environment.
His practice was concurrent with his flying career as an Airline Training Captain and Corporate Jet Captain,
These principles have direct application in his practice as an Aviation Expert in the investigation and opining of aviation incidents and accidents.
These tools have also been valuable in understanding the unique characteristics and personalities of Aviation Professionals, Airline, Corporate, and General Aviation pilots and flight crew members.
Bert uses his experience as a 26-year TWA Pilot and Training Captain and 9 Year NetJets Captain and General Aviation Pilot to help resolve the sometimes dangerous Psychological and Emotional responses of Airline and Corporate Flight crews, and General Aviation pilots, that often lead to an incident or accident.
His expertise in these areas has been crucial when applied to an incident or accident investigation.
He was chosen as the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA) Professional Standards Committee Chairman for the Trans World Airlines Pilot group and subsequently, as the Professional Standards Committee Chairman by the Teamsters Union for the NetJets Pilot group.
Those years as an Aviation and Psychological Professional enabled him to acquire valuable Insights into the Psychological and Emotional Makeup of Aviation Professionals in the Medical, Flight Fitness, Wrongful Death, and Wrong Surface Event cases that he has been hired to investigate and opine on as an Aviation Expert.
https://bit.ly/3FPfNNbBottaJurisProAvExpert
- Accident Investigation
- Accident Reconstruction
- Aviation
- Failure Analysis
- Human Factors
- Personal Injury
- Safety
- Transportation Safety
- Wrongful Death
- Q: Please list your professional accreditations, degrees, licenses, and certificates granted:
- A: Current 7/15/2023
• JurisPro Expert Witness Directory, 12/22
• SEAK Expert Witness Training, 2/22
• SEAK Expert Witness Directory, 12/21
• Airline Transport Pilot
• Captain, TWA, Former
• Captain, NetJets, Former
• FAA Designated Check Airman, Former
• FAA Certified Gold Seal Flight Instructor, Current
• Professional Standards Committee Chairman TWA/Airline Pilots Association, Former
• Professional Standards Committee Chairman NetJets, Former
• Master of Arts, Counseling Psychology
• Licensed Professional Counselor, Former - MO, FL, NM
• BA, Social Sciences
• Post Graduate Studies in Human Behavior
• Certified Leader, ManKind Project, Former
- Q: Please list your affiliations or memberships in any professional and/or industry organizations:
- A: JurisPro, SEAK, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), Trans World Airlines Retirees, Northwest Chapter, Petaluma Area Pilots Association, Gnoss Field Community Association, Petaluma Valley Baptist Church, Group Leader
- Q: Please list any teaching or speaking experience you have had, including subject matter:
- A: • Civil Air Patrol, Instructor Pilot, trained and qualified Search and Rescue pilots
• Chief Pilot, Solairus Aero
• Aircraft Simulator Instructor, Trained instrument pilots and maintained instrument pilot proficiency.
• Aviation Consulting Services, Interviewed, Coached, and Prepared pilot applicants for major air carrier interviews and testing.
• Speaker: Fifth and Seventh International Symposium on Aviation Psychology, Ohio State University.
• Speaker: ALPA Professional Standards Committee Meeting, “A Counseling Methodology to Solving Pilot Behavior Problems”
Aviation Consultant/Social Media Expert
• KaiserAir FBO, Oakland, CA
• Private Jet Pilots, West Palm Beach, FL
• Solairus Aero, Petaluma, CA
• Scanlon Aviation, Novato, CA
Writer/Author Articles published
• Airline Pilot magazine
• Aviation International News, (AIN online)
• Air Inc and other pilot career prep magazines
• Newspaper columnist, St. Louis Suburban Journal
• Columnist, Sedona Times, Sedona, AZ
- Q: Have any of your accreditations ever been investigated, suspended or removed? (if yes, explain)
- A: No
- Q: On how many occasions have you been retained as an expert?
- A: 4
- Q: For what area(s) of expertise have you been retained as an expert?
- A: • Wrong Surface event, current case, Plaintiff, 11/22 - 2023, ongoing
• Wrongful death case, Plaintiff, 7/22
• Alaska Airline Captain medical case, Defense, 9/21
• Delta First Officer surface transportation accident, Defense, 2/21
• Aviation Personnel International, consultant, investigated and opined on alleged unsafe conduct of a Corporate Jet Captain, 5/04
• Helicopter accident case, Expert Witness and Licensed Professional Counselor. Treated the pilot for PTSD, attested to his competency and ability to return to flying duty.
- Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the plaintiff?
- A: 50%
- Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the defendant?
- A: 50%
- Q: On how many occasions have you had your deposition taken?
- A: 1
- Q: When was the last time you had your deposition taken?
- A: 10/21
- Q: On how many occasions have you been qualified by a court to give expert testimony?
- A: 4
- Q: On how many occasions have you testified as an expert in court or before an arbitrator?
- A: 1
- Q: For how many years have you worked with the legal industry as an expert?
- A: 2
- Q: What services do you offer? (E.g.: consulting, testing, reports, site inspections etc.)
- A: Accident investigation, Accident Review and Analysis, Aviation Consulting, Crew Resource Management, Pilot Error Analysis, Flight Crew Training, Pilot & Flight Crew Mentoring, Stress Management, Coaching, Fact Finding, Reports
- Q: What is your hourly rate to consult with an attorney?
- A: $400
- Q: What is your hourly rate to review documents?
- A: $400
- Q: What is your hourly rate to provide deposition testimony?
- A: $400
- Q: What is your hourly rate to provide testimony at trial?
- A: $400
- Q: Please list any fees other than those stated above (E.g.: travel expenses, copy fees, etc.)
- A: Bert Botta, Aviation Expert
Captain, TWA/NetJets (Ret)
Petaluma CA, 94954
415-320-9811
Email: botajet@gmail.com
www.bertbotta.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bertbotta/
https://twitter.com/bottabert
RECORD REVIEW, ON-SITE VISIT AND/OR REPORT:
Review records, on-site visit and/or prepare written report based on
independent opinion.
Record Review
$400/hour
On-site Visit
$400/hour
Report Preparation
$400/hour
TESTIMONY FEES
Prepayment of trial and arbitration fees required 24 hours in advance of appearance.
Deposition (No Show/Cancellation rates less than 3 days-notice: $400)
$400/hour
Verbal Consultation (No Show/Cancellation rates less than 3 days-notice: $400)
$400/hour *Billed in 15-minute increments minimum.
Rush Fees
2 Days - $400/flat
5 Days - $300/flat
10 Days+ - $200/flat
Arbitration/Trial Half-Day
$1500/flat (No Show/Cancellation rates less than 3 days-notice: $750)
Arbitration/Trial Full-Day
$3000/flat (No Show/Cancellation rates less than 3 days-notice: $1500)
Travel
$100/hour (see CV for travel details)
Bert Botta, Captain
TWA/NetJets (ret)
Mark G. Henness, Esq.
HENNESS & HAIGHT, Injury Law
8972 Spanish Ridge Ave
Las Vegas, Nevada 89148
(702) 862.8200
MGHEsq@hennessandhaight.com
Katherine G. Karres, Attorney
Hurst Limontes, LLC
50 South Meridian Street, Suite 600
Indianapolis, Indiana, 46204
Phone: 317-636-0808
kkarres@billhurst.com
Maria A. Caruana
Attorney At Law
Law Offices of John A. Baird
P.O. Box 64093
Walnut Creek, CA
Office: (925) 945-4491
MCARUANA@travelers.com