Knott News - Highlights of 30 Years of Engineering Excellence

Dr. Richard Ziernicki discussed the mysterious crash of Air France 447 on “Geraldo At Large” on Fox News. Knott Laboratory created an animation illustrating the conditions and reactions that may have caused the tragic airplane crash. When the “black box” was finally recovered in 2011, it showed the airplane went into a stall, consistent with Knott Laboratory’s analysis.

2005 Dany Heatley Crash Fatality

Driver Dany Heatley, MVP of the 2003 NHL All-Star game, pleaded guilty to second-degree vehicular homicide and speeding. Heatley lost control of his convertible Ferrari and slammed into a brick column supporting a wrought iron fence. The vehicle split in half at impact and killed passenger and fellow teammate, Dan Snyder.

Knott Laboratory was retained to investigate the highly publicized car accident. Knott Laboratory’s forensic engineering team calculated the vehicle speed and path based on impact damage and physical evidence at the scene. Nighttime animations were produced showing the severity of the accident.

2003 Nebraska Radio Tower Collapse

Knott Laboratory was hired to investigate the sudden collapse of a 1,965-foot television tower in a remote field in Western Nebraska as crews were working to strengthen the structure. Two workers were killed and three were injured during the collapse. The tower had been the tallest structure in Nebraska and one of the tallest in the world, more than 500 feet taller than the Sears Tower in Chicago and 700 feet taller than the Empire State Building in New York City.

2002 Crane Collapse on I-25 in Denver

Knott Laboratory engineers consulted with News 4 regarding an accident where a small child was fatally injured by an airbag and on a crane collapse that crushed several cars travelling through the T-Rex project. Knott Laboratory’s animation team developed animations which aired on News 4.

2000 Miller Park “Big Blue” Crane Collapse

Knott Laboratory engineers and animators contributed to the successful verdict in the Miller Park crane collapse which killed three workers. The accident was Wisconsin’s largest personal injury case, awarding $99 million in damages. Knott Laboratory’s engineers determined that excessive winds caused the crane to collapse. Our engineers and animators used photographs and video of the collapse to determine the movement of the load prior to the accident. Knott Laboratory created an interactive presentation that was used in court allowing attorneys and engineers to display trial exhibits, animations and videos of the accident.

1999 New KL Office Building

Knott Laboratory moved into its new 14,000 square foot facility which we exclusively designed to meet our clients’ needs. The building features an investigation lab for hands-on analysis and a multimedia room which seats 81 people for client presentations, in-house seminars and news media coverage.

1999 $600 Million Power Plant Explosion

A massive explosion destroyed a significant portion of an electrical power plant in Kansas City in February 1999. The explosion occurred after a wastewater system blockage spilled raw sewage on the Fuel Safety System computers. Knott Laboratory’s forensic engineering team provided electrical, structural and mechanical expertise, as well as graphics and animations.

Knott Laboratory’s engineering analysis demonstrated the explosion was the result of an extraordinary sequence of errors by power plant personnel.

1997 Princess Diana Accident

Knott Laboratory provided a comprehensive accident reconstruction of the Princess Diana accident using state-of-the-art technology in forensic engineering, computer animation and photogrammetry. Sophisticated image analysis software was used to create a three dimensional computer model of the damaged Mercedes. Through this analysis, the Mercedes’ speed was determined when it impacted the tunnel pillar. Knott Laboratory’s findings were highlighted on several television programs including Dateline NBC, The Discovery Channel, Fox News and multiple news networks in Denver.

1996 City of Denver Shooting Incident

Knott Laboratory re-constructed a shooting incident to assess whether reported observations were consistent with physical evidence. Using photogrammetry, an on-screen three-dimensional computer model was created. The model was animated in real time, was consistent with the physical evidence and was presented in court. This project was featured in an issue of the Accident Reconstruction Journal.

1994 DIA Architect’s Standard of Care

Knott Laboratory engineers provided expert testimony on behalf of the architect in a dispute between an architectural firm and the City of Denver. The issue was whether the architectural firm met its professional standard of care during the design and construction of the main terminal at Denver International Airport. Our engineers concluded that, for the size of the construction project and the time constraints imposed, the professional standard of care was met. The jury found in favor of our client.

1989 Lyons School Bus Accident

Dr. Richard Ziernicki’s investigation of the fatal Lyons’ school bus accident on behalf of the Boulder Valley School District revived public debate over school bus safety including use of seat belts, retarder brakes for buses traveling in the mountains, bus crash worthiness, driver training and school bus maintenance.

1982 Hyatt Regency Walkway Collapse

Dr. Albert Knott was the test engineer hired to represent the steel fabricator in the famous Hyatt Regency walkway collapse in Kansas City in 1981. This collapse changed nationally the way that engineers took responsibility for checking shop drawings. Dr. Knott’s testing proved that the walkways were significantly under strength due to a change in the shop drawings of the way that the walkways were supported. The design engineer did not notice the change in the drawings when they were submitted for approval.

You are cordially invited to join Knott Laboratory LLC for a holiday open house on December 15, 2011 in honor of our 30th Anniversary.