TheNHBushman.com

This is the second shot in the series.  It demonstrates how important these photos are because it’s possible to triangulate the altitude of 5371 if the position of the camera is known (and it is, of course) by using the position and size of the Stationary Point of Reference (SPoR).  In this case, it’s the water tank and the pipes.

Local time is now 03:34 and I can’t sleep.  I can’t stop thinking about the men who died.  What bothers me is that the military released their report and they ruled pilot error, and they used my photographs in that determination.  This has taken a toll on me.  The respect and admiration that I have for those 2 men seems insignificant in the face of blame. 

May 11th changed my life.  I witnessed something profound - something that initially thrilled me but later greatly saddened me.  The only  consolation that I can find is that hopefully, information derived from my photos and eyewitness account will help future pilots from meeting the same end.  Please forgive me for what I saw.

technorati tags:Taiwan, Hukou, jet, 5371, crash, Airforce, accident, investigation, heroes

Blogged with Flock

Late last night I got a call from a TVBS reporter.  The military released 14 of my 23 photos and the producer feels that they do not need my photos now.  Furthermore, TVBS is not interested in interviewing me as they feel I have nothing important to say.  They cancelled our meeting this afternoon.

I consider this to be a blessing in disguise.  TVBS has proven that they are not responsible enough to be the sole guardian of my photos.

For the first time, I am going to reveal that I have been working on a private analysis of the photos (they are mine, after all, and I can do what I wish with them).  I am working with 2 civilian professionals who have completely blown me away with their skill level.  In the last few days we have discovered evidence that will shake this case to its very foundations.  This evidence is in plain view.

Please bear with me as I hold off on my own version of the story.  I promise that it will be well worth reading.

I would still like to do a call in radio talk show.

technorati tags:5371, TVBS, photos, evidence

Blogged with Flock

One thing that I wasn’t prepared for is the overwhelming response from the blog readers.  Of the comments that deal with my personal participation, 100% are positive and supportive.  Read for yourself:

Tim Maddog said… You wrote: - - - Many people have wondered why I did not immediately sell my photographs to the local press. - - - I, for one, totally appreciate and agree with the decision you made. I’m quite curious as to how the “local” press acted with regard to acquiring your photos. With this unique experience, can you give us a peek behind the curtain as to how the various stations may have (mis-)behaved? This might help others understand why they should follow your example in the future. Tim Maddog 11:00

The New Hampshire Bushman in Taiwan: PUBLIC STATEMENT ON THE 5371 ACCIDENT

Michael said… Sir, it is very honorable of you to help with the investigation, and not cash in on your photos at first opportunity. As a Taiwanese living in the US, I’d say we need more people like you on both sides of the Pacific and everywhere else. 00:41

The New Hampshire Bushman in Taiwan: PUBLIC STATEMENT ON THE 5371 ACCIDENT

Wayne said… Hey, Mr.Klein I am just want to thank you on behalf of Taiwanese people for what you are doing with the photos. It is great to see a foreigner who would do such a great thing like this. We, Taiwanese, should be ashamed of this because I have not seen much actions being taken regarding this issue except the politicians trying to get more publicity. Again, I just want you to know that there is a lot of people who appreciate and touched by your actions. 08:25

The New Hampshire Bushman in Taiwan: 5371 The First Photo

cfimages said… Have you had media interest (in Taiwan) about your story - ie helping with the investigation, donating money from any sales to charity etc. A lot of TW people only ever see the foreigners in TW on the news/in the paper when the foreigner has done something bad. Your story might go a long way to changing some of the preconceptions many TWese have about foreigners here. 13:43

The New Hampshire Bushman in Taiwan: 5371 The First Photo

Beijing2008 said… Thanks for your character and integrity Mike! We’re glad that you didn’t cash in on your photos (like some cheap conspiracy buffs might easily have done for a quick buck,) but rather helped out with the government. Thanks and we hope you enjoy your stay in Taiwan! =) (I live in Hsinchu.) Foreigners like you are what give other countries a good name. 23:29

The New Hampshire Bushman in Taiwan: 5371 Update

Hai Tien said… Thank you for doing the right thing and choosing to help with the investigation, rather than releasing the photos to the press right now for them to tear apart with the usual rampant speculation. You’ve definitely picked up another regular reader here. Much respect to you sir! 13:30

The New Hampshire Bushman in Taiwan: 5371 Update

David said… I admire you for the sensitive way you have written about this. If only the Taiwanese media would learn from your example!!! 17:07

The New Hampshire Bushman in Taiwan: 5371 Update

cfimages said… great work, Kudos to you for doing the right thing. 20:07

The New Hampshire Bushman in Taiwan: 5371 Update

Kenny Lin said… ?? sunrisetw (????) ?? Mon May 14 04:23:57 2007 ????5/11??????? I also want to give my personal take on the incident. I saw the jet in its final moments. The pilots had time to eject. They chose not to. Instead, they flew their aircraft into the ground on the base, thus sparing countless hundreds of lives in the crowded Hukou area that would have been lost in the crash and subsequent explosion. ???????????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????? ???????? When I look at the photos of 5371, I see 2 heroes in the cockpit…. ????5371(??F-5F????)??????????????????? 09:11

The New Hampshire Bushman in Taiwan: 5371

[Note: Kenny Lin translated key points that he wanted to make sure could be properly understood by our Chinese language readers - thank you very much Kenny]

?? said… You had deal properly with it!! I’m very appreciated your contribution to Taiwanese. Thank you!! 03:46

The New Hampshire Bushman in Taiwan: 5371

technorati tags:Taiwan, Hukou, 5371, comments, accident, AirForce, jet, military, crash, accident, investigation, heroes

Blogged with Flock

Photo by MJ Klein, All Rights Reserved

One of the 14 photos released to the press last night by the Air Force: #20 of 23

In the comments section of the relevant posts I have been asked about the local media interest in the story from my perspective.  I will answer those questions in this post as they are an important part of the story and are still developing day by day.

On Monday, I was contacted by the Daily Apple (because of this post in my blog) - before the investigation was concluded, before I released the first photo to the public, and before the military released the 14 continuous photos to the press.  I responded to them on Monday that since the investigation had not yet been concluded, I would decline to be interviewed at that time.  My attempt to contact them again today has yet to be answered.

After I published my first photo in the series, I was contacted by Stephanie Lin of TVBS after reading our desire to sell the photographs to the press and donate the money to charity.  Later that evening, the Air Force released 14 photos to the press, along with their analysis.

I gave those photos to the Air Force and told them to “use my photographs in any way you see fit.”  I didn’t know that they would release any or all of them.  The photos are exclusive - I am the only one who has a complete set of them besides the military authorities.  So, certainly publication of 14 consecutive shots diminishes the value of the collection.

However, to the credit of TVBS, they still want to interview me and before the end of this week I will have met with a producer there.  Even though the release of 14 photographs by the military reduces the exclusivity of the set, they are still interested.

I have a background in national (US) talk radio. If I may say so, I would love to talk with the people of Taiwan through the medium of talk radio.  ICRT, if you are listening, how about we do a late night talk show dedicated to 5371?  I have a lot of things I would like to say, and I would love to answer questions directly by taking calls from listeners.

Thanks to everyone for their kind words and support.  The positive response has been overwhemling and a source of comfort to Hui-chen and I.  As you can imagine, we have to look at things every day that remind us of what happened.  The military base wall runs beside a road that we frequently travel.  5371 will be with us every day….

technorati tags:Taiwan, Hukou, 5371, jet, military, accident, AirForce, investigation, heroes, media

Blogged with Flock

My wife and I convey our deepest sympathies to the families and colleagues of the injured and killed in this tragic accident. It is our sincere hope that my photographs and eyewitness testimony will provide information leading to the discovery of the cause, and prevention of such future accidents.

When a tragic accident such as this occurs, people have only one question in their minds: “Why did this happen?” People want to know the answer to this question, and when those answers are not forthcoming, the natural result is speculation and contention. Thus, rumors abound. This is human nature.

When I took the photographs of 5371, I had no idea at the time that what I was doing would have any historical or scientific interest. However, I quickly learned that my photographs were perhaps the only record of those crucial last seconds before the crash. I knew that my close proximity to the aircraft at the time the photographs were taken would be an asset to official investigators. Within the space of a few minutes, the innocuous act of photographing a military exercise had now become a matter of national concern. Many people have wondered why I did not immediately sell my photographs to the local press. Certainly their commercial value would be extremely high.

The answer is simple: I did not want to contribute to the rumors and speculation – they solve nothing and are counterproductive. But, also, Taiwan is my home now. This accident deeply affected me too, and I will never be the same for it. This highly publicized accident plunged our entire nation into a state of shock and confusion. Having my photographs splashed on television screens and newspapers across the Republic without any official explanation or reassurance would have been irresponsible. My wife and I agreed that personal profit would be unacceptable.

Unquestionably, the only choice was to provide any and all information that I had to the authorities as soon as possible. After review, they specifically asked me to not publish my photographs until the official investigation had been concluded. I respectfully complied with their request.

I was an eyewitness to 13 seconds of 5371’s final flight. What I saw were 2 heroes. They did not eject, thereby leaving the doomed aircraft to rain destruction and certain death on our neighborhood. No, when faced with a choice, they did what was necessary to protect the lives of their fellow Citizens of Taiwan. With their last breath, they struggled to crash land in the only acceptable place available to them – the nearest military base. I understand from discussions with the investigators, that they made it inside the base wall by only 5 meters.

I would like to thank the officers and engineers of the Taiwan Air Force for honoring me by including me in their investigation. Every time I drive down that road past the military base in our neighborhood, I will remember….

Please join me in saluting the heroes of 5371 – “They gave their lives to save ours.”

technorati tags:5371, public, statement

Blogged with Flock

Photo by MJ Klein, taken May 11, 2007, 09:39:39

UPDATE: First hour stats: Flickr views: 372 / Blog page views: 845

TV News stations are allowed to air this photograph under the license.

Last night, I uploaded this photograph to my flickr.com account using the Flock photo uploader (in ancitipation of using it on the blog). I did not realize that for some reason, the uploaded had made the photo public for a short time. Even so, 23 persons viewed it and one left a comment (which explains the old time stamp). Thanks to everyone who viewed and commented!

UPDATE #2: 5/16/07 02:06: The Taiwan Air Force released 14 of my photographs to the press today. http://www.ettoday.com/2007/05/15/301-2097203.htm

Obviously this reduces the value of the collection. There are 8 exclusive photos remaining from the continuous set.
—
This afternoon, the Taiwan Air Force released preliminary information on their investigation, which is rapidly drawing to a close.

I have decided to publish this, the very first photo in the series, so that the public and the press may finally appreciate how important the entire series of photographs really is.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. News media publications are allowed to publish this photograph, and are the only allowable exception to this Noncommercial license.
Credit: “Michael J. Klein”

This photo was taken at a calculated distance of less than 700 meters.

After careful consideration, my wife and I have decided that we will sell the remaining 22 photos to the press and donate 100% of the money to a charity that we have chosen. This way, we can use this opportunity to benefit those in need and still accomplish the goal of publishing the photos. Personal profit was never our intention. We invite interested parties to contact us via email: thenhbushman@gmail.com

Please join me in saluting the heroes of 5371. “They gave their lives to save ours”

technorati tags:Taiwan, Hukou, 5371, crash, photo, military, heroes, AirForce, accident

Blogged with Flock

Photos by Hui-chen and MJ Klein

UPDATE: May 15, 2007. On this day, just 5 days from the 2nd anniversary of our blog, this story has generated so much traffic that I have installed a World Map counter so everyone can see where the readers are. You may click on the map for a detailed view if you like.

World Visitor Map

Also, please feel free to check our sitemeter statistics here. Hui-chen and I appreciate the positive comments posted to our blog and emailed to us. We were deeply saddened by these events that have touched our lives. We appreciate all our readers who have spread word of this story to others and have thus honored The Heroes of 5371. I look forward to being able to give you the rest of the story very soon. My wife and I convey our deepest sympathies to the families and colleagues of the injured and killed in this tragic accident.
—
Yesterday, Hui-chen and I were in Taipei, at Shannon’s and then later, the Taiwan Beer Bar. I got no less than 4 phone calls from a Taiwan Air Force officer, asking questions about the photographs I took last Friday of the final moments of 5371 before it crashed.

Today, Sunday, May 13, 2007, several officers and engineers from the Air Force visited our home. They told me that my photos were the only photos available that showed what happened to the aircraft just before it crashed, and that the information I provided them was crucial to their investigation.

I have been asked by the lead investigator to hold off from publishing my photos for awhile. He is concerned that the local Taiwanese press may steal them off my flickr.com site. I just laughed it off, saying that we could sue them and give the money to the families of the deceased and injured. The press here are less than exemplary, let’s say.

So, I have decided to wait for a week before I publish the actual report along with the photos of the doomed jet. In the meantime I want to leave you with this short preview of the upcoming article. It may be necessary to wait a little longer than 1 week, so please accept my apologies.

Often, us foreigners complain that Taiwanese sometimes don’t take things seriously enough. In this case I want to make it clear that these officers and engineers viewed my photographic work with all the weight and scrutiny that I could have ever imagined. At the beginning, when I originally tried to contact the proper authorities through Linda Arrigo, she told me that her contacts basically said that they had enough photographs and didn’t need any more. No one realized that I was approximately 700 to 800 meters from the aircraft (determined today) and shooting with a 300mm lens. My photos show the positions of the aircraft’s control surfaces - essential information when trying to unravel such a complex puzzle. Later in the day, the Air Force came to my home and took a CD of the photos.

Not only did they keep me informed about what they were doing - they actually included me in their investigative work. That would never have happened in the USA! My years of experience in field engineering really paid off today.

The gentleman in the white shirt is Mr. Dong (nickname “Domain”), the lead investigator. The gentleman in the black shirt is a fighter pilot, and trainer stationed at the Hsinchu airbase. His English nickname is “Titan” and he a giant of a man - fully as tall as I am at 190+cm. In the background you can see 2 engineers sending down a measuring tape to measure the height of our building. Domain and Titan are checking out the positions of stationary points of reference seen in my photos. These points of reference were in the foreground with the jet in the background, and are extremely useful for determining distance, altitude and velocity. Titan is holding a print out of all the photos, for reference.

The process began with an interview. I was questioned about what I saw, where I was standing, what I heard, my thoughts and views - all of it. These men were super-professional and genuinely appreciative of my help. Notice that I am holding my GPS in my left hand. Once I explained a bit about my background, they decided to use me as part of the team.

Here I am taking a bearing on one of the stationary points of reference. My GPS has a fluxgate compass and a sighting feature. I am holding the GPS high in order to be as accurate as possible, while still holding the unit itself level. They used my sightings in their data. In fact, they used all the GPS data that I provided them.

Air Force photographer shooting a reverse angle photo from a stationary reference point back towards the point of origin (where I was standing when I took the photos).

One last thing I want to mention, is that I got the definition of what constitutes a legal, and illegal photo in the eyes of the military and Taiwan government, right from an Air Force officer. All of my photos are 100% legal and I am free to publish them. The military is concerned however, that the press would pick up my photos and make up some story about what happened before the official investigation releases its findings. I respect their concern and therefore must abide by their request to wait.

technorati tags:Taiwan, Hukou, military, 5371, crash, heroes, investigation

Blogged with Flock

That is the designation of the F5F that crashed today.

I was on the roof of my home, shooting photographs.  I took a series of photos of this very aircraft that was flying at very low altitude.  In fact, my instincts told me that it must have crashed but I didn’t hear or see anything to indicate that it had.

Later I found out from the TV news that it had crashed, and unfortunately the two pilots were killed.

Through a friend of mine, we contacted the Taiwan military who came to our home for copies of my photographs and to hear my account of what happened.

Later, during at lunch at Shao Hui’s we heard that a woman in the neighborhood was bragging that some news station paid her NT$200,000 for her shitty digital photos taken with a pocket cam.  I wonder how much my 10.2 mp photos taken with my Nikon D80 and 300mm lens are worth?

To me, their value is in the hopes that they will clear the pilots of error.

I also want to give my personal take on the incident.  I saw the jet in its final moments.  The pilots had time to eject.  They chose not to.  Instead, they flew their aircraft into the ground on the base, thus sparing countless hundreds of lives in the crowded Hukou area that would have been lost in the crash and subsequent explosion.

When I look at the photos of 5371, I see 2 heroes in the cockpit….

technorati tags:Taiwan, Hukou, military, 5371, crash, heroes

Blogged with Flock

Please bear wtih me, but I am experimenting with posting large size photos on the blog and observing the effects.

technorati tags:large, photo experiment

Blogged with Flock

Photos by MJ Klein

This is our friend Shao Hui.  She runs the local Thai restaurant karaoke.  I’ve introduced several friends to her and her place, and she has the best Thai food around.  She tells fascinating stories about Taiwanese gangsters jacking her up for protection money, and how her disco was shut down by the opposition calling the police and complaining about the high sound levels.  Nevertheless, she has one of the nicest dispositions and a very positive attitude.

This is what I like about Shao Hui’s place - all kinds of people.  Here you see Taiwanese and Thais hanging out together, in various states of consciousness.

You should see this place on the weekends! I am going to do an English menu for her.  I highly recommend that you check her place out in Hukou!

technorati tags:Shaohui, Thai, Taiwan, Hukou, karaoke

Blogged with Flock