Second Lieutenant Knott was the pilot of a F-86E Sabrejet Fighter-Bomber with the 25th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 51st Fighter-Interceptor Group. On 20 July 1953, while on a mission of providing a combat air patrol over a downed comrade, his aircraft crashed for unknown reasons. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.

Knott was awarded the Air Medal, the Purple Heart, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.