The Cook Photo

[Ric Gillespie]

Given the recent interest in the Cook Photo I have written to the owner of the photo and asked him to agree to rescind the Confidentiality Agreement TIGHAR entered into with the photo's owner and grant us permission to share the photo and freely discuss the photo publicly. While we're waiting to hear back, it might be useful to clarify that - other than Dr. Tom King seeing the photo for a few seconds as part of an Explorers Club slide show on September 17, 2011- no one at TIGHAR saw the photo, much less had a chance to evaluate it, until nearly a week AFTER Tim Mellon made his financial contribution to the project.

On April 5, 2012, after signing a Confidentiality Agreement, we finally got a copy of the photo.  Our forensic imaging expert (Jeff Glickman) began examining it.  For those who don't know, Jeff provides expert witness testimony and expert reports for the enhancement, reconstruction and recovery of photographic and video imagery including photographic interpretation, objective data extraction, analytical and mathematical image modeling and image reconstruction.  Jeff is a Board Certified Forensic Examiner, a Fellow of the American College of Forensic Examiners, a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and Vice-President of the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Puget Sound Region. He is also a past Member of the Washington State Forensic Investigations Council.  See:  http://www.jurispro.com/JeffGlickman.  In any event, based on Jeff's examination, on May 2, 2012 we notified Dr. Cook that in our opinion there was only a "slight chance" that the object in the photo was associated with the airplane.

Just like our investigation of the "wreck photo" posted on the website, TIGHAR members are free to comment, debate, examine and discuss the Cook Photo as soon as we have clearance to share it.

[James G. Stoveken]

Just like our investigation of the "wreck photo" posted on the website...

Gee Ric, let's not go down that road...  again!

Here's a link to the Wreck Photo Resolved.

[Tim Mellon]

Just like our investigation of the "wreck photo" posted on the website...

Gee Ric, let's not go down that road...  again!

Here's a link to the Wreck Photo Resolved.

James, are you suggesting that the Cook photo is of a Japanese Ki-54? Does this move us closer to the Saipan scenario? Interesting....

[Ric Gillespie]

Gee Ric, let's not go down that road...  again!

No, no, no  .. I was just citing the Wreck Photo as an example of a photo we've puzzled about and discussed openly.  That horse well-flogged and long dead.  Thanks for posting the "resolved" link.

[Ric Gillespie]

Still haven't head back from the owner of the photo. I'll ping him again.

[Laura Gridley]

Well said Jeff.

[Irvine John Donald]

Yes Jeff. Well said. Lets hope the permission is granted.

[Ric Gillespie]

I'm pleased to report that TIGHAR has, at long last, received confirmation from Dr. Craig Cook that:
"The previous confidentiality agreement is no longer in effect and you can use the photo as you deem necessary. I retain ownership and the photo cannot be used for sale or given to third parties for usage unless I am informed and agree to that use."

I have posted the entire photo here for your examination and comment.  The yellow arrow was put there by Dr. Cook to point out the object of interest in the photo. I trust that everyone will respect Dr. Cook's stipulation.  Please do not download the photo or re-post it.

Craig took the photo September 13, 2009 during a New England Aquarium expedition to the Phoenix Group. On that day they were diving off the west end of Nikumaroro. He did not take the photo because he noticed anything unusual at the time - it's just one of many underwater shots he took during that dive. The depth appears to be around 60 feet.  Craig does not know, and we do not know, exactly where the photo was taken but he now thinks he may have been just west of the Bevington Object location. 

During the June 2012 New England Aquarium expedition (just prior to TIGHAR's Niku VII expedition) Dr. Cook and other divers tried, but were unable, to re-locate the scene depicted in the photo.  The marine growth that appears to cover the object of interest is a macro-algae called halmeda.  Craig reports that during the 2012 expedition they found halmeda growth at Nikumaroro to be greatly reduced since the 2009 trip, probably due to an increase in water temperature - so it's possible that the object of interest is just an oddly-shaped clump of veggies that was gone in 2012. 

Jeff Glickman's opinion, however, is that the object of interest is probably a man-made object but the lack of anything in the photo from which to derive scale makes it impossible to tell exactly how big it is. There's a fish lurking behind the object which the New England Aquarium has tentatively identified as a "Squirrel fish" (Holocentridae).  If the fish ID is correct, the object isn't very big.  Still, Craig's recently-expressed opinion that it was just west of the Bevington Object location, if correct, puts it in an interesting place. It was certainly not worth altering the make-up and mission of TIGHAR's 2012 Niku VII expedition to look for this elusive object, but we plan to include scuba divers as part of the Niku VIII team any way to scour the shallow areas west of the Bevington Object location  - again - for any possible debris. Craig Cook has agreed to come along as TIGHAR's dive team physician.  You can bet that we'll be on the look-out for anything that might explain this intriguing photo.

[Gloria Walker Burger]

I'm sorry, I don't see a darn thing! What do some people think it might be, or think it looks like...

[Ric Gillespie]

It looks very similar to a wheel, lying on its side, with marine growth covering it.

Yeah, but not much like an Electra wheel.

[Monty Fowler]

Ummmm ... I see a yellow arrow. And the Creature from the Black Lagoon swimming away from the camera operator, on the righthand side of the frame.

And I do remember seeing a film once where the phrase, "I see dead people" was repeated fairly often.

LTM, who knows when to call in the experts,
Monty Fowler, TIGHAR No. 2189 CER

[Bob Jones]

What about the possibility of it being a tailwheel?  I have not yet been able to find a decent pic of the rear wheel....  :-\

[John Balderston]

What about the possibility of it being a tailwheel?  I have not yet been able to find a decent pic of the rear wheel....  :-\

Here is an image of the tail wheel from Purdue U.'s on-line digital collection. 

Don't know if AE's L10E had a steerable tail wheel.  However, to my eye to the left of the yellow arrow is a configuration that looks manmade, and very much resembles a tail wheel steering mechanism (symmetrical plate with holes on either side and rigging attached).

[Chris Johnson]

I'm not usually one for 'camel cloud' spotting but attached is (difficult to do without reference to original photo but bearing in mind Ric's wishes) three fairly linier objects that I can see.

[Tim Mellon]

I am inclined to believe it may be an engine with cowling circling the central propeller shaft. Looks like three cylinders (at 8, 12 and 2 o'clock) have been forced forward.