Carnahan Plane Crash - Goldman, MO

Description: Airplane crash that claimed the lives of Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan and his son, Randy who was piloting the plane. Plaintiff's counsel wished to illustrate to the jury that the pilot had not caused the accident and that mechanical failure of key instruments during a flight that eventually encountered hazardous weather conditions was to blame. Phase 1, Pre-Visualization and Measurement: Fearless Eye obtained FAA flight path data, air traffic control voice transcripts, and audio recordings, and combined them in correct sequence. 3D topographical maps were created from USGS surveys and flight path indication points were overlaid. An accurate model of the Cessna airplane was also produced. Phase 2, Visualizations Produced: After combining all relevant data provided by plaintiff's engineers, a series of 3D animations was produced illustrating the airplane's flight path, highlighting key points in the flight in which loss of ground control was made evident by radio silence and erratic flight behavior. Dramatic changes in course heading as well as altitude were also illustrated by this methodology. Superimposed text display and simultaneous playback of flight recordings during the animations produced a comprehensive record of events for the jury.