733667-001-003-0030

PHILIP J. KLASS 404 ‘'N"’ ST. SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON, D. C. 20024 (202) 854-8901 May 2, 1987 Mr. Paul Steucke Public Affairs Office FAA Alaskan Region 701 C St., Box 14 Anchorage, Alaska 99513 Dear Paul: Thank you for the JAL1628 radar plot data provided with your letter of April 17. It has been most useful in enabling me to plot the JAL flight path on an aeronautical chart for the region and to show the approximate position of the aircraft, the relative bearings to Jupiter, Mars and the full Moon at key points in the flight, as well as "highlight" remarks by the pilot on the approximate position of the reported "UFO." I enclose a copy of my plot and invite you to submit it to any interested parties who might wish to comment (unoffic- ijally). An extra copy is enclosed so that any errors can be noted and it can be returned to me. Because the arrow-head used to show aircraft location is roughly 10 nautical miles in length in terms of the aero-chart scale-factor, the JAL1628 and UA69 positions necessarily are only approximate. And I am not seeking comment on the bearings shown to Jupiter, Mars or the Moon. That info comes from Cleveland astronomer Nick Sanduleak who, incidentally, discovered the star "“Sanduleak" which recently exploded to produce a Supernova. (How would you like to discover a star, have it named in your honor- --only to have it explode and disappear a few years later??) Reference the "highlight report" sent to you earlier, you do have my permission to share it with anyone in the FAA who might be interested. As indicated therein, the data accumulated and released by the Alaskan Region has been invaluable in analyzing this incident and in finding a prosaic explanation. You have my permission to use my favorable comments on your procedure in any way you think appropriate. Cordially, :