Stahl Engineering & Failure Analysis, LLC

12/16/2025

Good engineering can also be fun!

07/23/2020

Involved in Vehicle or Equipment Fire Investigation? Check out our post "Arc Mapping - Not Valid for Vehicle / Equipment Fire Origin Determination - Part 1" drawn from our extensive work in this area and previously published technical papers. Let us know if you disagree or have a different perspective- Look for Part 2 next month.

"Arc mapping may not be an effective technique for determining the origin of a fire in automobiles, trucks, and buses..."- NFPA 921 2017

08/12/2015

We haven't investigated any of these but they're good for an ironic chuckle...

http://drive.odometer.com/click.php?net=fbk&lst=www.odometer.com%2Flifestyle%2F21761%2F15-ironic-car-crashes-that-prove-the-universe-has-a-sense-of-humor&drv=21761-fde¶m5=12600733¶m6=1048408

Sometimes in life, no matter how bad things are, you just can't help but laugh at some well-placed irony. While we do sympathize with anyone who may have been tragically injured in these images, we can't help but find a little humor in each one. With that said, we think you'll enjoy our collection o…

10/01/2014

Unexpected potential hazard to include in our next product failure analysis!

10/31/2013

An interesting perspective of litigation names provided by:

kevinunderhill.typepad.com/lowering_the_bar/comical_case_names.html

Comical Case Names - In no particular order:
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United States v. 11 1/4 Dozen Packages of Articles Labeled in Part Mrs. Moffat’s Shoo-Fly Powders for Drunkenness, 40 F. Supp. 208 (W.D.N.Y. 1941) (holding product misbranded because it was not in fact a cure or treatment for drunkenness).

Robin Hood, et al. v. US Gov. Banking Industry, et al., No. 3:12-cv-1542-EDL (N.D. Cal. filed Mar. 27, 2012).

Easter Seals Society for Crippled Children v. Pl***oy Enterprises, 815 F.2d 323 (5th Cir. 1987).

Fortner v. ATF Agents Dog 1, Cat 2, and Horse 3, No. 06-cv-02148, 2011 WL 11489 (D. Colo. Jan. 4, 2011).

Julius Goldman's Egg City v. United States, 464 U.S. 814 (1983).

I Am The Beast Six Six Six of the Lord of Hosts in Edmond Frank MacGillivray Jr. Now. I Am The Beast Six Six Six of the Lord of Hosts IEFMJN. I Am The Beast Six Six Six of the Lord of Hosts. I Am The Beast Six Six Six of the Lord of Hosts OTLOHIEFMJN. I Am The Beast SSSOTLOHIEFMJN. I Am The Beast Six Six Six. Beast Six Six Six Lord v. Michigan State Police, et al., File No. 5:89:92, 1990 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8792 (W.D. Mich. July 12, 1990).

United States ex rel. Mayo v. Satan and His Staff (W.D. Pa. 1971).

Batman v. Commissioner, 189 F.2d 107 (5th Cir. 1951), cert. denied 342 U.S. 877 (1951).

Schmuck v. United States, 489 U.S. 705 (1989).

Juicy Whip v. Orange Bang, 185 F.3d 1364 (Fed. Cir. 1999).

United States v. Approximately 64,695 Pounds of Shark Fins, No. 05-56274 (9th Cir. Mar. 17, 2008).

United States v. 2,507 Live Canary Winged Parakeets, 689 F. Supp. 1106 (S.D. Fla. 1988).

United States v. Article Consisting of 50,000 Cardboard Boxes More or Less, Each Containing One Pair of Clacker Balls, 413 F. Supp. 1281 (D. Wisc. 1976).

United States v. One Lucite Ball Containing Lunar Material (One Moon Rock) and One Ten Inch by Fourteen Inch Wooden Plaque, 252 F. Supp. 2d 1367 (S.D. Fla. 2003).

Nebraska v. One 1970 2-Door Sedan Rambler (Gremlin), 215 N.W.2d 849 (Neb. 1974).

South Dakota v. Fifteen Impounded Cats, 785 N.W.2d 272 (S.D. 2010).

4 Exotic Dancers v. Spearmint Rhino and the Wild Goose, et al., No. CV 08-4038 ABC, 2009 WL 250054 (C.D. Cal. Jan. 29, 2009) (denying plaintiffs' motion for leave to proceed pseudonymously).

Association of Irritated Residents v. United States Environmental Protection Agency, ___ F.3d ___, No. 09-71383 (9th Cir. Feb. 2, 2011).

Wang v. P**n, 302 DLR (4th) 679, 84 BCLR (4th) 199, 2008 BCCA 442 (B.C. Court of Appeal Nov. 7, 2008).

United States v. International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen and Helpers of America, AFL-CIO; Commission of La Cosa Nostra; Anthony Salerno, also known as Fat Tony; Matthew Ianniello, also known as Matty the Horse; Anthony Provenzano, also known as Tony Pro; Nunzio Provenzano, also known as Nunzi Pro; Anthony Corallo, also known as Tony Ducks; Salvatore Santoro; Christopher Furnari,Sr., also known as Christie Tick; Frank Manzo; Carmine Persico, also known as The Snake, also known as Junior; Gennaro Langella, also known as Gerry Lang; Philip Rastelli, also known as Rusty; Nicholas Marangello, also known as Nicky Glasses; Joseph Massino, also known as Joey Messino; Anthony Ficarotta, also known as Figgy; Eugene Boffa, Sr.; Francis Sheeran; Milton Rockman, also known as Maishe; John Tronolone, also known as Peanuts; Joseph John Aiuppa, also known as Joey Aiuppa, also known as Joe Doves, also known as Joey O'Brien; John Phillip Cerone, also known as Jackie Cerone, also known as Jackie the Lackie; Joseph Lombardo, also known as Joey the Clown; Angelo LaPietra, also known as The Nutcracker; Frank Balistrieri, also known as Carl Angelo Deluna, also known as Toughy; Carl Civella, also known as Corky; Anthony Thomas Civella, also known as Tony Ripe; General Executive Board, International Brotherhood of Teamsters; Jackie Presser, General President [and other officers including sixteen Vice Presidents]; In re Application L###VI of the Independent Administrator, Leroy Ellis, Appellee v. Roadway Express, Inc., 3 F.3d 634 (2d Cir. 1993).

And maybe my personal favorite so far:

Death v. Graves, CGC-06-451316 (San Francisco Super. Ct. filed Apr. 17, 2006) (complaint alleging that the defendants' vehicle crashed into plaintiff Alan Death's motorcycle; Death lived).

1999) United States v. Approximately 64,695 Pounds of Shark Fins , No. 05-56274 (9th Cir.

08/22/2013

Here's one way to put out a truck fire!

http://news.yahoo.com/water-plane-called-in-to-extinguish-truck-fire-on-remote-canadian-highway-152641387.html

Firefighters responding to a truck accident in remote Canada late last month used a water plane to extinguish the blaze.

04/19/2013

Kerry presented our paper at the 2013 SAE World Congress this week - Working for continued improvement in the forensic science of commercial vehicle and equipment fire investigation failure analysis!

This paper will focus on three case study examples of commercial vehicle wheel end fires that were caused by operating the vehicles with the parking brakes applied. Because it analyzes the most commonly utilized conventional air/drum brake systems in the US market, this analysis is applicable to mos...

04/19/2013

Pop culture and Trucking come together...

10/04/2012

Kerry Parrott, BSME, CFI, CFEI/CVFI presented "Parking Brake Fires in Commercial Vehicles" with co-author Douglas R. Stahl, PE, at FIVE 2012 - 2nd Conference on Fire In VEhicles, dealing with fire origin and cause determination of parking brake fires in commercial vehicles such as trucks, buses, and tractor-trailers in Chicago on September 27-28, 2012.