Publications

• USA TODAY: Pilot Fatigue Threat to Safety
• 5 Simple Tips For Safe, Enjoyable Travel!
• How High is Your Legal IQ?
• Pilot Emotional Intelligence: Why You Need to Know Your Emotional IQ!
• The Power of Personal Connections
• Is "Pilot Personality" an Oxymoron!? (Pg. 34)

Airline, Corporate Expert, General Aviation

Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

Additional Information

June, 2024: Runway Excursions are becoming increasingly frequent and potentially deadly. The reasons for this growing danger are relatively simple to understand but not easy to correct. July, 2023: "2 aircraft line up to land on the same runway and collide on final approach! 4 souls lost. FAA calls these 'wrong surface events.' The ATC system is broken and needs fixing!" Captain Botta has 35 years of Aviation Experience as an International Airline and Corporate Jet Captain with a General Aviation background. He also has 10 years experience in Private Practice as a former Licensed Professional Counselor. • Whistleblower case, Major Jet Charter company, 3/24 • Sky West/American Airlines, passenger dry ice injury, 1/24 • Wrong-surface event, 11/22 - 3/23 • Wrongful death case, 7/22 • Other cases opined on: pilot competency, pilot incapacity, medical issues • SEAK Expert Witness Training, 2/22 • SEAK Expert Witness Directory, 12/21 Captain Botta's Specialty is: Investigating Accidents/Incidents that may have flight crew and/orpilot error as the cause. • Captain Botta assesses and opines on individuals and flight crews in a Corporate, Airline, or General Aviation case that may have • Involved pilot judgment error, inter-personal conflict, stress, or other “human factor” related issues • Based on his experience as a former Licensed Professional Counselor • And as a TWA FAA Designated Check Airman • TWA/ALPA & NetJets Professional Standards Committee Chairman • Experience in Aviation Expert Cases involving Aviator Medical Issues and Aircraft Fatal Accidents • Experience with Rebuttal, Written Reports, and Deposition General Specialties: Accident Causation, Pilot Judgment, Flight Crew, Flight Safety, General Aviation, Pilot Behavior, Accident Analysis Education: • Master's Degree, Counseling Psychology, John F Kennedy University, Orinda, CA, 1984 • BA, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, 1964 Aviation Experience: • Airline Pilot/Captain at Trans World Airlines (TWA) 1966-1992 • FAA Designated Check Airman, TWA, 1989-1992 • TWA/ALPA Professional Standards Committee, Chairman • NetJets, Corporate Jet Pilot/Captain, 2000-2009 • NetJets/Teamsters Professional Standards Committee, Chairman • Former Licensed Professional Counselor in Private Practice, St. Louis, MO, 1989-1996 As an Aviation Expert, Captain Botta has 35 years of Aviation Experience: • General Aviation Background • A Major Airline Captain with • International, Multi-Cultural experience • Designated FAA Line Check Captain • Pilot Instructor • Captain for NetJets • Certified FAA Flight Instructor (Current 6/26) • Aircraft Simulator instructor, General Aviation, 2016-2018 As a former Licensed Professional Counselor with a private & group practice, Bert combines Aviation Expert skills with • Psychological and Emotional tools Highly Valuable for Accident Analysis and Reconstruction • These tools Provide Valuable Insights into the cause and effect of Aviation Accidents and Incidents TWA CAPTAIN: 1966-1992: 20000 hours flying experience, Captain, First Officer, Flight Engineer. DESIGNATED FAA LINE CHECK AIRMAN TWA: 1989 – 1992, MD80/DC9 SAUDI ARABIA SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT, CAD License # TA325, 1976-1977 TWA AIRLINE PILOTS ASSOCIATION TWA/ALPA (AIRLINE PILOTS ASSOCIATION) PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: 1986-1989 TWA/ALPA CHAIRMAN, FAMILY AWARENESS COMMITTEE: 1990-1992 TWA/ALPA SECOND OFFICER REPRESENTATIVE: 1973-1976 NetJets: GULFSTREAM AND CITATION JET CAPTAIN: 2000 – 2009 NetJets: PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: Teamsters Union, 2001-2005 General Aviation, Recent: Kelleher Lumber Company, 2018-2020.