Expert Witness & Litigation Support
When Aviation Cases Demand Operational Authority
Aviation litigation is a specialized discipline. The technical complexity of flight operations, crew training standards, regulatory compliance, and safety management systems requires more than a working knowledge of the FARs. It requires someone who has lived and worked inside the systems being examined. Attorneys, insurers, and aviation organizations need an expert who can translate that operational reality into clear, credible, and defensible analysis. That is what McCall Aviation Consulting provides.
What I Offer
With decades of Part 121 line experience at United, including service as a Line Check Airman, I bring direct operational authority to aviation expert work. Graduate work in Aviation Safety Systems and Human Factors adds the research grounding complex cases increasingly demand. I provide support across the full arc of litigation:
Case Evaluation & Initial Analysis
Early, candid assessment of the aviation-specific facts at issue: the applicable standard of care, whether it was met, and the strengths and weaknesses of the technical record. This lets counsel make informed decisions before positions harden.
Written Expert Reports
Technically precise, clearly written reports that meet the requirements of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26 and stand up to adversarial scrutiny. Every opinion is grounded in operational experience, regulatory authority, and where applicable, academic safety science.
Deposition Preparation & Support
Preparation of counsel for the technical dimensions of deposition, anticipating lines of examination, identifying the questions that matter, and ensuring that complex operational concepts translate effectively in a legal setting.
Trial Testimony
Clear, confident courtroom testimony that gives triers of fact, judges and juries alike, the operational context they need to reach well-informed conclusions. The goal is not advocacy. It is authoritative clarity.
Areas of Expertise
My work covers the operational and regulatory ground that aviation litigation most often turns on, including:
• Flight crew performance and adherence to standard operating procedures
• Crew Resource Management (CRM) and cockpit communication
• Airline training programs, check airman standards, and evaluation practices
• Safety Management Systems: program adequacy, implementation, and organizational safety culture
• Operations manual content, currency, and regulatory compliance
• Fatigue, duty time, and rest requirements under 14 CFR Part 117
• Pilot decision-making and aeronautical judgment
• FAA regulatory compliance under 14 CFR Parts 5, 61, 91, 117, 121, and 135
• Air carrier operational control and dispatch responsibilities
Where a matter centers on fatigue, this practice draws directly on the firm’s Fatigue Risk Management work. See that practice area for the underlying depth.
A Note on Independence
Credible expert testimony begins with independence. I do not tailor opinions to client preference, and I will not offer testimony I cannot support on the merits. If the facts of a case do not support a particular position, I will say so, directly and early. That candor is not a liability; it is what makes the opinions I do offer worth having.
How Litigation Engagements Work
I work with plaintiff and defense counsel, insurance carriers, and aviation organizations on a retained basis. Engagements typically begin with a case evaluation and records review, followed by a scope discussion before any formal retention. Geographic scope is nationwide.
Have a Case to Evaluate?
Every initial conversation is confidential, whether or not it leads to a formal engagement.
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Practice Areas
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