This case involves an alleged product defect in a comprehensive aeronautics sensor suite by the defendant, where the manufacturer’s fuel cell would malfunction intermittently and negate the aircraft’s ability to monitor its surroundings. The malfunction was, claimed the plaintiff, a violation of the applicable quality assurance standards in the aerospace industry. The defect in the sensor suite had been identified as the cause behind a number of incidents involving aircraft equipped with the affected units, as the planes had been utilized for critical aerial photography projects until the defect caused them to be grounded. The plaintiff claimed that a critical piece of aeronautics equipment that was manufactured by the defendants was defective, while the defendants countered that the plaintiff user did not follow the procedures in ‘AS 9100’, and if they did, that they wouldn’t have sent these materials to the customers.
Question(s) For Expert Witness
1. Please briefly describe your familiarity with aerospace product quality assurance.
2. Can you speak knowledgeably to the standards in AS9100 and how they may apply to this case?
Expert Witness Response E-079020
With 30 years of experience in aerospace technology and quality assurance, I am definitely able to speak knowledgeably to the standards of AS9100; I was part of a group at my former company that was responsible for maintaining AS9100 standards, and was part of a writing team that drafted policies to make the AS9110 standard more applicable. I was responsible for building the AS9100 standard system from the ground up while at a major aerospace company, developing a system that met As9100 standards and regulations for manufacturing production and maintenance. I have plenty of experience serving in a quality control capacity hands-on in the aerospace industry, starting with my role as a senior quality engineer at a major aerospace company. I also trained many engineers on product approvals. I conducted inspections of malfunctioning aerospace equipment and equipment failures as part of my previous work. When events such as the one described above occurred, all parts would be reviewed, including product quality control practices and manufacturer practices. Further, I reviewed standards for quality assurance on a daily basis.
About the author
Joseph O'Neill
Joe has extensive experience in online journalism and technical writing across a range of legal topics, including personal injury, meidcal malpractice, mass torts, consumer litigation, commercial litigation, and more. Joe spent close to six years working at Expert Institute, finishing up his role here as Director of Marketing. He has considerable knowledge across an array of legal topics pertaining to expert witnesses. Currently, Joe servces as Owner and Demand Generation Consultant at LightSail Consulting.
