David Douthit
To contact this specialist click here and please mention his name at your message

Using his 30+ years experience, Dave consults in the troubleshooting, repair and failure prevention of electronic circuitry and systems. His expertise covers all electronics assembly levels: component, circuit card, subassembly and box/unit as well as interconnections. He is dedicated to determining the root cause and the physics of every failure.

He has developed new and improved existing stressing profiles, using them for detecting incipient encapsulated solder joint failures, "cross talk" failures, leakage current failures, component failures, short circuits (dendrites and CAF - Conductive Anodic Filaments), intermittent contacts, connector failures, corrosion and general contamination-caused degradation of electronic systems.

Professional Experience
Engineering Technician 1996-2001
Boeing Helicopter Division, Mesa, Arizona. Building and installing prototype Avionics test equipment systems for the Longbow Apache program. Internal research and development in the Mission Equipment Development Laboratory.

Owner/Operator; FAA Certified Repair Station 1992-1996
Chandler Airport, Chandler, Arizona. Transponder recertification and installation of various Avionics equipment on General Aviation aircraft. Maintained FAA certified AWAS (Automated Weather and Approach System) radio beacon.

Senior Technician 1987-1995
Avionics Lab, America West. Airlines Troubleshot & repaired, from systems down to component level, RADAR, VOR/ILS, DME, ATC TRANSPONDERS, COMM TRANSCEIVERS. Worked with vendors engineering departments, and with the FAA to correct recurring problems. Developed new testing procedures that greatly improved equipment reliability.

Radio and Electrical Technician 1985 -1987
Standard Aero, Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. Performed modifications and systems checks on commercial jet aircraft

Presentations and Publications

• "Avionics Systems, Reliability, and Harsh Environments", 57th Annual Forum of the American Helicopter Society, May 2001
• "Conformal Coatings and Harsh Environments" IPC/APEX 2000 Conference, March 2000 "Avionics Reliability" issue of Air Med Magazine, January/February 1998
• "Conformal Coatings Reliability" SAE AEMR Conference, October 1998
• "Keeping Avionics Reliable" Avionics Magazine, September 1987
• "Contamination of Electronic Assemblies" CRC Press - publication pending CO - author, Dr. Michael Pecht, University of Maryland/CALCE