Aeronautical / Aerospace / Aerodynamics Engineering Expert Witnesses: 2

Rapperport Associates, Inc., provides exceptional capability in Failure Analysis, Fire and Explosion Investigation, Accident Reconstruction, Structural Analysis, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Metallurgy and Materials Science. We have provided superior technical support for litigation since 1974, and possess an extraordinarily talented technical team with impeccable academic and industrial credentials and proven analysis capability. Our team of distinguished scientists and engineers is drawn principally from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) and Stanford University. 

AREAS OF EXPERTISE:

Engineering

• Mechanical
• Structural / Civil
• Metallurgy
• Materials Science
• Aeronautics and Astronautics
• Electrical

Byron Birkedahl, founder and sole expert of HyMasa LLC, has over 41 years of experience in Aviation Electronic Systems at a fortune 100 aerospace company with the most recent role as the Senior Chief Engineer of Advanced Air Mobility and Next Generation Avionics.

Mr. Birkedahl has performed numerous safety assessments of aircraft incidents and served as an advisor to the FAA on new regulatory guidelines. He is an Engineering Fellow / System Architect and Flight Test Engineer credited with creating models and simulations of EVTOL dynamics, propulsion, flight controls and sensors for electronic system design analysis and real time simulator demonstrations. 

Mr. Birkedahl has 11 patents to his name (3 pending) and is responsible for creating control laws for autopilots and flight directors certified on numerous aircraft.

Experience (selected):

• Creation and approval of certification documents and safety analyses
• Knowledge of regulations and architectures of aircraft electronic systems
• Interface and presentations to worldwide aviation regulators (e.g. FAA, EASA, ANAC, CAA, Transport Canada) for the certification of aircraft electronic system
• Establishing the preliminary assessment of safety vs non-safety for aircraft incidents
• Conducting the FAA's Transport Airplane Risk Assessment Methodology (TARAM) of several aircraft incidents and coordination with the FAA of the results
• Analysis of Flight recorder data on a very high-profile accident and meetings with the NTSB on findings

Litigation Support - Mr. Birkedahl has extensive experience in aviation electronic systems that can assist in areas such as aviation accident litigation cases or the evaluation of start-up company viability / risk for investors. His services are available to attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant and government agencies.

Areas of Expertise:

• Presentation Communications with Aviation Regulators (worldwide)
• Aviation Modeling / Analytics / Simulation / Control Laws
• Lead Architect of Complex Aviation Electronic Systems
• Communications to Corporate Leadership and Aircraft OEMs
• Aviation Hazard / Safety Assessments

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