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Scope & Range of Services
Peter R. Leffe offers consulting services to the legal community and others
in the areas of accident investigation and reconstruction. He has specialty
training from the University of Southern California, school of engineering
in accident investigation. He has conducted numerous investigations and
reconstructions for both plaintiff and defense law firms. He has deposition
and trial experience in both state and federal courts.
Mr. Leffe’s background allows him to offer consultation and expert testimony
in several areas. The first is aviation. He consults about general
aviation, warbirds, experimental aircraft and some areas of commercial aviation. He
is able to offer analysis and testimony in the areas of aircraft construction,
flight operations, wreckage reconstruction, power plants, flight path reconstruction,
aviation metallurgy, etc.
Mr. Leffe’s background in skiing and winter sports how allowed him to
qualify in court and offer testimony in the areas of skiing technique, equipment
failures, and skier responsibility.
Mr. Leffe is a licensed Architect and a diplomat of the National Counsel of
Architectural Registration boards. This certification allows him to be
licensed in all states by reciprocity and in several foreign countries including
the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan. He offers consultation and expert
testimony in the areas of failure analysis, architectural design, engineering,
codes, stairways and walking surface conditions.
Mr. Leffe will be happy to discuss the specific areas of consultation for
your needs. Please don’t hesitate to contact him by phone, e-mail
or fax.
CURRICULUM VITAE
of
Peter R. Leffe, BsME, MArch, AIA, NCARB
Architect, Mechanical Engineer with Metallurgy,
Airline Transport Pilot
Address: 18346 Wakecrest Drive Revision date: June 2007
Malibu, California 90265
Phone: 310-459-9774 Fax: 310-459-6039
PROFESSIONAL SPECIALIZATION
Accident investigation, reconstruction and failure analysis. All forms of mechanical equipment and vehicle inspection including failure analysis. Design defect analysis, structural analysis and reconstruction. Analysis of controls, redundant systems, placement, use, design and warnings. Metallurgical analysis, fatigue failure, stress corrosion cracking and stress analysis. Architectural and construction consulting including failure analysis and design reviews. Winter sports equipment failure analysis. Ski technique and skier responsibility evaluation.
Court qualified in State and Federal courts, accident investigation, reconstruction, design, failure mode; aircraft, mechanical equipment, winter sports, construction defects, slip-trip and fall, vehicle braking systems, seat belts and others. Consultation, analysis and as needed, courtroom testimony in more than 250 cases over the past 18 years.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering with Metallurgy,
Indiana Institute of Technology, 1963-1968
Master of Architecture
University of California, Berkeley 1973-1976
Diplomate, National Counsel of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), 1991
Federal Aviation Administration, Airline Transport Pilot, 1995
Certificate, Aircraft Accident Investigation
School of Engineering, University of Southern California, 1997
Federal Aviation Administration, Aviation Safety Counselor training, 2001
National Transportation Safety Board, First Responder training and certification, 2005
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION MEMBERSHIPS
Member, American College of Forensic Examiners
Member, National Association of Professional Accident Reconstruction Specialists
Member, International Society of Air Safety Investigators
Member, Society of Automotive Engineers
Member, American Institute of Architects (AIA)
Member, American Society of Civil and Architectural Engineers
Member, International Council of Building Officials
Member, International Code Council, L.A. Basin Chapter
Member, International Society for Skiing Safety
Member, Experimental Aircraft Association
Member, Warbirds of America Association
Former Member, NASA Astronaut Candidate Pool
LICENSES
Registered Professional Architect
Federal Aviation Administration, Airline Transport Pilot
Federal Aviation Administration, Repairman Certificate, Experimental Aircraft
SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS
The American Institute of Architects
Waid Scholarship, 1974
The American Institute of Architects,
Institute Scholar, 1975
Experimental Aircraft Association
T-18 Award, 1985
TEACHING
Indiana Institute of Technology
Teaching Assistant in Metallurgy
University of California at Berkeley
Teaching Fellowship in Structural Engineering
University of California at Berkeley
Teaching Assistant in Environmental Design
Chief instructor and check pilot, Airpower Aviation Resources
Siai Marchetti Aircraft Distributor, USA
United States Navy Test Pilot School, Qualitative Evaluation Program
Safety/Instructor Pilot
National Test Pilot School
Safety/Instruction Pilot
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Associate Engineer/Scientist, McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Corp., Long Beach, CA
Design engineering services group involved in design of wing structural components DC 10 and assigned to the Acoustic Research Group involved in the noise reduction program and testing of porous media. 1968 -
Research Associate in Environmental Design, The Farallones Institute, Berkeley, CA
Responsible for the design of geodesic and inflatable structures under a grant from the Ford Foundation and the Rosenberg Foundation. 1970 -
Product and Architectural Design, Berkeley, CA
Responsible for Architectural products and small Architecture projects. 1973 -
Architectural Intern and Engineer, The Architectural Group, Jackson, Wyoming
Responsible for Architectural design of residential and commercial projects. Provided engineering on projects and structural engineering consultation. 1976 -
Vise President, Pacific Western Psychiatric Medical Group.
Group Architect, responsible for architectural renovation of 18 hospital units in the Southern California area, the management of physician employees, manager of intellectual property and litigation matters. 1981 -
Consulting Professional Architect and Engineer, Wyoming and California
General practice of Architecture 1989-present
Consulting Architect
Consultation for litigation 1994-present
Consulting Mechanical Engineer and Metallurgist
Consultation for litigation 1994-present
Consulting Airline Transport Pilot,
Consultation for litigation 1994-present
Professional Pilot
Advanced aircraft instruction 1995-present
Aircraft ferry services
Safety pilot services
Chief Aviation Safety Counselor, Federal Aviation Administration 1999-2006
General Aviation Operations
Los Angeles International Airport
Federal Aviation Administration, FAAST Aviation Safety Team
All airports, Southern California Region 2007-present
TELEVISED & RADIO DOCUMENTARY APPEARANCES
Appeared on the History Channel program “Decoding the Past” for the analysis of aviation accidents in the Bermuda Triangle (Two hour special), 2006
Numerous appearances and interviews on various television news programs as an aviation accident investigation expert.
Numerous radio interviews as an aviation accident expert commenting on probable cause of various accidents.
Radio interviews in the field of Architecture at the AIA National Convention.
Peter R. Leffe, AIA NCARB
Architect & Mechanical Engineer
Curriculum Vitae Supplement
AVIATION
Specialization:
Aviation accident investigation and reconstruction. Wreckage analysis, structural reconstruction, design defect analysis. Power plant teardowns, analysis and testing. Maintenance reviews including reviews of airframe and power plant log books. Systems analysis and redundant system integration analysis.
Failure analysis of materials and structures. Stress analysis of structures and failure analysis of systems. Stress corrosion cracking including the analysis of the inter-relationship of environment to component failure.
Flight path reconstruction using in-flight reconstruction of radar traces and Global Positioning System tracking. Flight testing of aircraft and systems.
Specialty Education:
Certificate, Aircraft Accident Investigation, School of Engineering,
University of Southern California, 1997
Federal Aviation Administration, Aviation Safety Counselor training, 2001
NTSB, first responder training and certification, 2005
Licenses:
FAA: Private Pilot
Instrument Pilot
Commercial Pilot
Airline Transport Pilot
FAA: Repairman Certificate, Experimental Aircraft
Awards:
Experimental Aircraft Association Convention, T-18 Award
San Diego Fly-In Best Metal Experimental
Watsonville Fly-In, Best T-18
Café 400 Air Race competitor
Aviation Experience:
Licensed pilot for 40 years
Airline Transport Pilot rating
Aerobatic Pilot
High performance and complex aircraft qualified
Tail wheel qualified with over 900 hours
Turbo prop and Jet experience
Aviation Safety Counselor, Los Angeles International Airport
NTSB, First Responder
Former member, NASA Astronaut candidate pool
Aviation Insturction:
U.S. Navy Test Pilot School, Qual Eval Program, safety/instructor pilot
National Test Pilot School, Qual Eval Program, safety pilot/flight engineer
Empire Test Pilot School, Qual Eval Program, safety/instructor pilot
Contributor, The History Channel, aviation accident investigator & commentator
Instructor Pilot for Siai Marchetti SF-260 Aircraft, Airpower Aviation Resources
Instructor for Complex and High Performance training and certification
FAA Authorized Instructor
Memberships:
Member, International Society of Air Safety Investigators
Member, The Experimental Aircraft Association
Member, The Warbirds of America
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