In attempting to identify what the image is that has been captured on this tape there is one indisputable fact that cannot be ignored.

Although this event was captured on video from many different angles at the precise exact same moment, it is visible from only one angle.

This cannot be explained by any differences in lighting or frame rate.  The object appears on screen for 22 frames, or 22/60th of a second for a 60 frames per second video camera.  If in fact this was a large object very near the tower as many believe then any camera at a similar vantage point should have captured the image for as many frames and any camera at a greater distance should have captured the image for a considerably longer length of time.

It should be apparent to all that an object appears larger the nearer it is.  In reading the analysis of this tape by others I have often read estimations of the object's size and speed.  If the object is not a recognizable thing and it is viewed from only one angle then It is impossible to determine the size without knowing the distance and impossible to determine the distance without knowing the size. Likewise without this information it is impossible to determine the speed.

Had the object passed behind the towers then we would have a very concrete minimal distance to base assumptions upon.

But since the object passed in front of the towers the only thing we know about the distance is that it is somewhere between the photographer and the towers.

Now there is a way to possibly determine the distance, size and speed of the object.  If one could view the event from another angle and if the object were visible then it's location could be fixed in three-dimensional space.  At that point one could make a very accurate estimate of the object's size and speed.

Well, the fact is there are countless views from various angles, many you can see for yourself on this site.  There is only one problem.

The object isn't there!

There are many things I can't prove on this site.  I cannot prove what the object is.  I can't prove that it is not the result of equipment malfunction and I can't prove it is not deliberate fraud.

But the viewing of one single video from a different angle showing clearly where the object should but isn't proves one thing conclusively.....

There is no large dark object passing through or even near either tower.

So what is the object?

If one discounts the possibility of equipment malfunction and fraud, both of which I consider highly unlikely, then the only possible conclusion one can reach is that the object is much closer to the photographer and considerably smaller.  The evidence suggests that the object is so close to the photographer as to be out of the field of view of any other photographer that day.

Of all the ordinary things the object could be I feel that the most likely is that it is simply a bird.

Consider this video.  

LA Times Video of Second Crash 22KB

Note the birds in this video in the same general area at the same general time.  Be sure to note their similarity to the object in the mystery video.  They appear to be the same color and they modulate in a similar fashion.  They also appear to be much larger due to their close proximity.

Now consider this animated GIF that I made from this video.  wct_sh2.mpg 113 KB

This image can be a little misleading.  What I believe is captured here is a bird as it passes into clear view from the cluttered backdrop of the burning towers and then moves out of view.  In this sequence I believe one can see the up stroke of the bird's wings.  The strong down stroke that one sees here is actually an illusion due to the looping.

The point is, however, that one can see a central dark shape that closely resembles the shape of a bird's body with what appears to be blurred flapping motion to either side that is highly suggestive of a bird's wings.

And finally consider this.

Above are the last 10 frames of the 22 frames the object in on screen.  These are the clearest shots after the object passes past the backdrop of the burning towers.  These close-ups were made from the stills I made from the video I acquired.  These specific images have been lightened and enlarged here only for illustrative purposes.  The unaltered captures can be seen on my All Frames page.

Frame #16 is the frame that is most commonly seen as evidence of a UFO but you are never shown all of the frames.  People who propose the UFO theory will focus on frame #16 but totally ignore frames like frame #19 and frame #21.  The strength of my argument in contrast is that I will show all of the evidence.

Frame #16 by itself does indeed look quite mysterious.  This can be further compounded by the fact that many people do not know how to correctly digitize a video image.  Video images and digitized images are both composed of pixels.  Pixels are colored dots arranged in rows and columns that make up the final image.

The problem occurs when one makes a pixel by pixel capture.  While this will capture all of the relevant information the resulting digital image will be distorted.  This happens when the person making the capture does not consider the different aspect ratio between video and digital.

Aspect ratio is the relationship between the pixel height and the pixel width and the relationship is different between video (television screen) and digital (computer screen).  The pixel on a computer screen is not a tall as a pixel on a television screen, therefore, a pixel by pixel capture of a video intended for a television screen will appear slightly distorted (slightly wider and less tall) when viewed on a computer screen.  I have corrected for this in my captures by capturing an image larger than a pixel by pixel capture and maintaining the correct aspect ratio.

In conclusion, the many angles of the event I have provided here proves beyond all doubt that there is no large dark object passing through or even near either tower at the time of the second crash.

Discounting the possibility of equipment malfunction or fraud we are left with only one possible explanation.  The object in question is not large and far away as some believe but smaller and closer to the only photographer who captured the image.

Considering the shape, color and apparent movement of the object and the fact that many birds of the same similar shape and color can be clearly seen on other videos one would have to conclude that the object is most likely a bird.

© Blue Monk Productions 2003