Coal Mine Rescue- Quecreek Coal Mine Rescue

Coal Mine Rescue
Quecreek Mine
Windber, Pennsylvania


The Accident

(July 24, 2002) Nine Pennsylvania Quecreek miners were trapped in an underground chamber when they accidentally broke through into an adjacent unused mining shaft. The miners were excavating bituminous coal in the mine. At the time of the accident they were a 1 1/2 miles from the surface entrance to the mine.

The mining shaft that they broke into had been abandoned since the1950's and had been since flooded with water. When the walls of the shaft were breeched 60 million gallons of water rushed into the mine shaft, forcing the miners to seek shelter in the underground chamber.


The Rescue

For the next two and a half days, there were no signs of life from below of any kind. As each attempt to reach the miners stalled, fears surrounding the miners general safety continued to rise.

Late Saturday night at around 10pm the mine rescue crews reached the flooded shaft. They dropped a telephone line into the chamber and soon discovered that all nine miners were alive and in reasonably good health. The emergency mine rescue crews quickly created an air line to send compressed air down into the chamber and then began pumping out the water through several surface pump rigs.

When the rescuers finally reached the chamber, they used a yellow rescue cage to send down food, water, blankets and lights. The rescue cage is 22 inches wide and 100 inches long.

The last miner to emerge from the underground chamber was Mark Popernack. He arrived at the surface at 2:45 a.m. with a big smile and a thumbs up. After being trapped for more than 72 hours, everyone was  ready to celebrate. The miners all appeared to be in relatively good health, despite suffering from hypothermia.

The Cage

The final dramatic rescue of all nine miners relied on the 22"x100" yellow cage. This narrow cage was used to lift each miner, one by one, up the rescue shaft. This same rescue cage has now become a symbol of what has become perhaps the most dramatic mine rescue of American history.

The controversy of who will get to retain and preserve this symbol now lies between one of the greatest American museums, the Smithsonian Institute, and the local town museum, the Windber Coal Heritage Center. The Windber Coal Heritage Center was created to preserve the history of the depressed former min company town. The Smithsonian seeks to add the capsule to its American History Collection.
 

Trial Graphics FAA Investigation USAir 427- Trial Graphics

What Caused The Crash of USAir Flight 427?

US Air Flight 427 had been a scheduled flight coming from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport into Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and en-route to the final destination in West Palm Beach in the State of Florida. This flight crashed on the 8th of September, 1994 and killed everyone on board. If you are not familiar with the problems which caused the crash of USAir Flight 427, this article will briefly look at this, plus give some details about the crash and investigation.

Boeing 737-3B7 was traveling on the route, listed N513AU and was nearing runway 28R at Pittsburgh International Airport, which is situated in Findlay Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. At that time, this airport was regarded as the biggest hub for this airline.

The Crash

The airline was piloted by Captain Peter Germano and First Officer Charles B.Emmett III. When they were at approximately 6,000 feet or 1,800 m and 6 miles or 10 km away from landing on the runway, it is said that the aircraft encountered an abrupt loss of control and subsequently slammed to the ground. The aircraft ended up in a position that was classified as vertical nose down and killed the 5 crews and all 127 passengers.

What was the result of the investigation?

Following what was recorded in aviation history as the longest investigation, which took over four years, the final statement reports that: The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) establishes that the most likely cause for the crash of USAir flight 427 was because the airplane loss control which resulted from a range of motion within the rudder area to its blow down limitation. It seems that the rudder surface probably deflected to an opposite direction than what the pilots commanded due to a jam within the primary control unit for the rudder.

The report from the NTSB also showed that very much the same rudder issues had caused the earlier mysterious crash of the United Airline flight 585 on the 3rd of March 1991 and also another crash on June 9, 1996, which involved Eastwind Airlines Flight 517; they were both Boeing 737s.

On account of this investigation, aircraft pilots were subsequently cautioned and also trained on how to cope with inadequate aileron authority when traveling at speed of or no less than 218 mph, 354 km/h or 190 knots; this was previously the standard approach velocity for the B737. In addition, four extra channels for information, meaning the pilot rudder pedal controls, had been included into the data recorders for flight, whilst Boeing remodeled its rudder system for the 737s and also repaired existing aircraft until the damaged systems can be replaced.

In the end, flight 427 was recorded as the second deadly crash within a little over 2 months for the company; the other one took place in July 1994 when USAir Flight 1016 crashed at Charlotte-Douglas Airport. A number of people believe that these crashes brought on numerous financial disasters for USAir during that period.
 

Trial Graphics- Fire Dynamics (212) 789-9077

Trial Graphics- Forensic Investigation

Trial Graphics
London Underground
Forensic Fire Investigation

A fire erupts in the Kings Cross Underground Station in London, England, 31 people are killed and dozens are injured. Forensic Fire Investigators were able to pinpoint the cause of the fire, but it would take state-of-the-art computer technology and experts in the field of fluid dynamics to analyze accident recreations to explain this deadly inferno.

How the Fire Started

The fire started on an escalator between the Piccadilly Line platforms and the ticket hall at King's Cross St. Pancras tube station. The fire was the result of a discarded match or cigarette igniting debris, detritus and grease beneath the wooden escalators.

Forensic investigators found burn patterns and evidence that similar fires had started previously but these fire did not have enough fuel to burn long enough to spread. When investigators checked a nearby escalator, they found that the wood on the bottom of the escalator was burned in at least 18 different places. All of these spots were on the right side of the escalator, which is precisely where passengers are most likely to light a cigarette. Passengers would stand off to the right side to let the traffic pass them on the left.

There was a ban on smoking for at least two years, but investigators found that this was for the most part ignored by the passengers.

The forensic investigation revealed a large collection of grease and oil under the tracks. It was initially thought that it would be hard to ignite this grease and that it would burn very slowly if it were to actually ignite. However, the grease and oil was also matted with paper fragments, ticket stubs, candy wrappers, clothing scraps. The train station records showed that the areas under the escalator had not been cleaned since the escalator was first built in 1940.

The forensic investigators conducted a test to see if lit matches were the cause of the fire. Lit matches were dropped onto the grease and debris and the fire immediately began to spread. The fire burned for approximately seven minutes before being extinguished. There was no evidence or proof suggesting any reason why the fire would have flashed up the escalator in the manner that eyewitnesses had described.

TMBA created a series of animations that describe these events and the forensic investigation, based on the report from the London Fire Brigade, for the series "Extreme Evidence" (Court TV).

Trial Graphics Trench Effect- Trial Graphics

Trench Effect (Trail Graphics)

The trench effect is a combination of circumstances that can cause a fire to climb rapidly up an inclined surface. It depends on two well-understood but separate ideas: the Coanda effect from fluid dynamics and the flashover concept from fire dynamics.
The Coanda effect is the tendency of a fast-moving stream of air to deflect towards nearby surfaces. The fast-moving stream tends to experience a decrease in static pressure, which creates a pressure difference between those areas far from the wall and the wall itself.

Flashover is a sudden broad spreading of fire, which occurs when the majority of surfaces in a space are heated to the point at which they give off flammable gases hot enough to ignite themselves. Prior to flashover, flammable gases may be given off but are not hot enough to ignite themselves.

The trench effect occurs when a fire burns next to a a surface that has a steep incline. The flames lie down across the inclined surface,  as described by the Coanda effect. The flames heat the surface along the length of the incline. These surfaces release gases, and as the reach their ignition point, they start burning. This is the flashover theory.

These flames, according to the Coanda effect, blow a blast of flames up to the end of the sloped surface. This blast of flames continues until the surface is entirely consumed.

King's Cross Investigation.

The Trench Effect has become well known as a result of the scientific and forensic investigation of the King's Cross fire. The fire started under an escalator between the Piccadilly Line platforms and the King's Cross St. ticket hall tube station.

According to eyewitness testimony, at the early stages of the fire under the escalator, it was small and very manageable. Fire Brigade officers testified that the fire appeared ti be about the size of a large box.

TMBA provided these accident recreations based on the investigation report from the London Fire Brigade for the series "Extreme Evidence" (Court TV).

For more information call (212) 789-9077

or go here- http://www.tmba.tv/trial-graphics/arson-investigation/london-underground/

Trial Graphics London Underground- Trial Graphics

TMBA created these trial graphics based on the investigation report from the London Fire Brigade for the series "Extreme Evidence" (Court TV).

A fire erupts in the Kings Cross Underground Station in London, England, 31 people are killed and dozens are injured. Arson investigators were able to pinpoint the cause of the fire, but it would take state-of-the-art computer technology and experts in the field of fluid dynamics to analyze accident recreations and trial graphics to explain why it became a deadly inferno.

The fire started on an escalator between the Piccadilly Line platforms and the ticket hall at King's Cross St. Pancras tube station. The evidence of many eyewitnesses indicated that at the early stages, the fire in the escalator was obviously of manageable size: officers from the Fire Brigade and British Transport Police gave evidence that the fire appeared no larger than a large cardboard box burning. Those present were all taken by surprise when it suddenly changed into something that threw a sustained jet of flame into the ticket hall.

What seems clear is that in the early stages of the fire, the flames visible to anyone not standing on the burning escalator were a small part of the full story. The majority of the flames were lying down in the escalator trench; only a few protruded above the balustrade and were visible to observers. The lack of visible flames lulled the emergency services into a false sense of security. When the treads of the escalator flashed over, the size of the fire increased dramatically and set most of the ticket hall alight.

Trial Graphics Fire Point of Origin- Trial Graphics

A fire erupts in the Kings Cross Underground Station. 31 people are killed and dozens are injured. TMBA created this accident recreation based on the investigation report from the London Fire Brigade for the series "Extreme Evidence" (Court TV).

How the Fire Spread Up the Escalator

The lack of visible flames and relatively clean wood smoke produced lulled the emergency services into a false sense of security, especially as firemen had attended more than 400 similar tube fires over the previous three decades. Firemen later described the fire as around the size and intensity of a campfire. Many people in the ticket hall believed that the fire was small and thus not an immediate hazard: indeed, an evacuation route from the tunnels below was arranged through a parallel escalator tunnel to the ticket hall above the burning escalator.

The fire started beneath the escalator, spread above it, then flashed over and filled the ticket hall with flames and smoke. Investigations later showed that a particular combination of draughts, caused by an eastbound train arriving at the station while a westbound train was leaving, created a 12 mph wind through the station and up the escalator (known as the piston effect; this helps ventilate the tube), adding to the speed of the fire spreading. This wind was however found to be not enough to account for the flash over or the fire ferocity, which was described as similar to a blowtorch.

TMBA provided these accident recreations based on the investigation report from the London Fire Brigade for the series "Extreme Evidence" (Court TV).

For more information call (212) 789-9077

 

Stunt Junkies: Reverse Bungee BASE Jump: Diag 01

Stunt Junkies Discovery Channel TMBA

TMBA is the New York animation studio that created the "physics behind the stunts" animations for Discovery Channels "Stunt Junkies" TV show.

The Discovery series Stunt Junkies attracted a weekly cult following, thanks in part to some amazing 3D animations from TMBA. Our edgy "graffiti" style graphics added lots of visual excitement and helped to quickly, clearly explain the science behind each stunt.

These stylized motion graphics were layered on top of amazing, detailed 3D re-creations of each stunt. This allowed producers manipulate man & machine and highlight the riskiest aspects of each stunt adding great dramatic tension.

Can we handle motorcycles, jetskis, skateboards, parachutes, four wheelers, base jumping, and careening kayaks?

Yep. Check it out. TMBA has lots of visual tricks for adding visual interest to factual information.

Stunt Junkies: Reverse Bungee BASE Jump: Diag 01

Stunt Junkies Discovery Channel TMBA

TMBA is the New York animation studio that created the "physics behind the stunts" animations for Discovery Channels "Stunt Junkies" TV show.

The Discovery series Stunt Junkies attracted a weekly cult following, thanks in part to some amazing 3D animations from TMBA. Our edgy "graffiti" style graphics added lots of visual excitement and helped to quickly, clearly explain the science behind each stunt.

These stylized motion graphics were layered on top of amazing, detailed 3D re-creations of each stunt. This allowed producers manipulate man & machine and highlight the riskiest aspects of each stunt adding great dramatic tension.

Can we handle motorcycles, jetskis, skateboards, parachutes, four wheelers, base jumping, and careening kayaks?

Yep. Check it out. TMBA has lots of visual tricks for adding visual interest to factual information.

Stunt Junkies: Reverse Bungee BASE Jump: Diag 01

Stunt Junkies Discovery Channel TMBA

TMBA is the New York animation studio that created the "physics behind the stunts" animations for Discovery Channels "Stunt Junkies" TV show.

The Discovery series Stunt Junkies attracted a weekly cult following, thanks in part to some amazing 3D animations from TMBA. Our edgy "graffiti" style graphics added lots of visual excitement and helped to quickly, clearly explain the science behind each stunt.

These stylized motion graphics were layered on top of amazing, detailed 3D re-creations of each stunt. This allowed producers manipulate man & machine and highlight the riskiest aspects of each stunt adding great dramatic tension.

Can we handle motorcycles, jetskis, skateboards, parachutes, four wheelers, base jumping, and careening kayaks?

Yep. Check it out. TMBA has lots of visual tricks for adding visual interest to factual information.

Stunt Junkies: Jimmy Pouchert: Reverse Bungee BASE Jump

Stunt Junkies Discovery Channel TMBA

TMBA is the New York animation studio that created the "physics behind the stunts" animations for Discovery Channels "Stunt Junkies" TV show.

The Discovery series Stunt Junkies attracted a weekly cult following, thanks in part to some amazing 3D animations from TMBA. Our edgy "graffiti" style graphics added lots of visual excitement and helped to quickly, clearly explain the science behind each stunt.

These stylized motion graphics were layered on top of amazing, detailed 3D re-creations of each stunt. This allowed producers manipulate man & machine and highlight the riskiest aspects of each stunt adding great dramatic tension.

Can we handle motorcycles, jetskis, skateboards, parachutes, four wheelers, base jumping, and careening kayaks?

Yep. Check it out. TMBA has lots of visual tricks for adding visual interest to factual information.