733667-001-003-0039

Subject From To Q Viemorandum US Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration ACTION: Release of Accident investigation Date. material, data, information. February 2, 1987 JL #1628 Reply to Attn of PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER, AAL-5 MANAGER, AIR TRAFFIC DIVISION, AAL-500 HENRY ELIAS Attached is an article about the JAL flight #1628, (UFO), which appeared on the wire service, and in the January 30, 1987, Anchorage Daily News. In the article, a Mr. Phillip J. Klass, Editor with the "Aviation Week and Space Technology" magazine, is reported as saying, "According to Klass, who reviewed a complete copy of the transcript..." The investigation of this incident has not been completed to date and release of information or material prior to the completion of an investigation is not in keeping with existing policy. Mr. Klass used this reference to substantiate a position regarding his theory about the sighting. As a result of this published reference we received several telephone calls from correspondents throughout the Nation wanting to know why they did not get a complete copy of the transcript as promised when Mr. Klass was able to obtain a copy. We told them we had not released the material to date. Has the AAL-500 division provided anyone, other than AAL-5 and AAL-200, with a copy of the transcript, or other materials included in the investigation, from the ARTCC, ROCC, or pilot? If copies have been provided to others I would like to have the names, titles and routing codes. Nee Paul eucke cc: AAL-1 Bey