BP ignored safety warnings and its own protocols before the deadly 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, then issued an internal investigation report afterward that was “incomplete” because it didn’t fully analyze how management actions contributed to the disaster, an engineering expert testified Tuesday.

Robert Bea, a University of California-Berkeley professor, said during the second day of the spill’s civil trial that he would characterize BP’s failures in overseeing the Macondo well project as “tragic, egregious.”

“It’s a classic failure of management and leadership in BP,” Bea testified.

Bea is a crucial witness for plaintiffs suing BP because he has an intimate knowledge of BP’s safety procedures since he was a paid consultant for the company for years before the Gulf disaster. He said he warned BP several times over the years to improve its safety procedures and culture.