733667-001-009

PILOT REPORT

AI Summary

This document is a record of an interview conducted with JAL First Officer Takanori Tamefuji regarding his sighting of an unidentified flying object (UFO) on November 17, 1986. The interview was conducted by Inspector Peter E. Beckner and an interpreter in Anchorage, Alaska. Tamefuji described seeing multiple lights that he initially thought were from an aircraft, but later considered them unusual due to their brightness and formation.

Key Findings

- First Officer Tamefuji reported seeing bright lights during a night flight. - He initially thought the lights were from an oncoming aircraft. - The sighting lasted approximately five to ten minutes. - The lights were described as being red, orange, white, and green, with some blinking. - Tamefuji noted that the lights appeared larger than a typical aircraft and did not match any known aircraft patterns.

OCR Text

RECORD OF INTERVIEW WITH JAL FIRST OFFICER On January 5, 1987, Inspector Peter E. Beckner, AAL-207, and Japanese Interpertor Sayoko Mimoto, FAA Airways Facilities, interviewed JAL First Officer Takanori Tamefuji at the Federal Building, Anchorage, Alaska. The interview was conducted for the purpose of gathering first-hand witness testimony with regard to a sighting on November 17, 1986, by First Officer Tamefuji of an unidentified flying object. The following is a record of the interview: P. Beckner ? P. Beckner Conducted at this time in the Flight Standards Division Office, this is Pete Beckner with AAL-207, and we're here with First Officer, Mr. Tamefuji. (unintelligible) Did I say that correctly? T. Tamefuji Tam -a -fuji. P. Beckner Okay, thank you, and Sayoko Mimoto from A A -ah, Airways Facilities in AL-400. To begin the questioning, I'd like to first of all ask you, um, is this the first time anything of this nature is, have you seen this sort of thing? T. Tamefuji This, this is, is my first time. P. Beckner First time, okay. What, if you will, if you could describe for me, what exactly did you see? And I'll provide the paper for you so, here, just kind of let me know, if you would, just describe what you saw. Was there more than just one thing that you saw? And ah, if you would just kinda put it down for ah, for me on paper if that's okay. T. Tamefuji First off Captain Terauchi, what ah, Captain Terauchi saw was ah, I couldn't see. P. Beckner Okay T. Tamefuji And ah, first part of the incident P. Beckner Incident? T. Tamefuji Yeah. P. Beckner That's fine. T. Tamefuji Ahhh ••• about ten minutes I could see, but after that time, hummmm ••• I couldn't see because of my seat is co-pilot right- hand side P. Beckner Right. T. Tamefuji and ah, the object was in left-hand side ••• P. Beckner Okay. T. Tamefuji and very dark vision, so • • • P. Beckner Okay. T. Tamefuji so I couldn't see, but ah at first ah, humm, (unintelligible) what can I write ••• P. Beckner Just kinda picture in your mind what you saw • • • T. Tamefuji Humm. P. Beckner and then put that on paper, and I'm going to shut the door here. T. Tamefuji Humm, it was ah, left right clock head..-on traffic ••• ?.Beckner Okay. T. Tamefuji I just to see and ah, humm, left right? P. Beckner Yes T. Tamefuji Ah, in night flight head..-on traffic we can see just ah, light • P. Beckner Lights, okay. T. Tamefuji we cannot see the total shape . . . P. Beckner Shape T. Tamefuji shape P. Beckner Okay T. Tamefuji so (unintelligible) I thought it was ah, head-on traffic P. Beckner Okay T. Tamefuji Mmmm, so I couldn't, can't write ah, exactly . . . P. Beckner Would you say it was just . . . ? T. Tamefuji Just light . . . P. Beckner Oka y it was more than, s..--was there more than like what would s a y t her e w as s i x lights . . . ? 2 you T. Tamefuji Nol Nol P. Beckner • would you say there was a multitude of lights? T. Tamefuji Ah, (unintelligible) just I want to describe just ah, light, only light. P. Beckner Okay T. Tamefuji Yeah, so if ah, there was something flying, but ah, I couldn't see at that time. P. Beckner Okay, ah was there, was there clear night? T. Tamefuji Yes • P. Beckner Okay T. Tamefuji • clear. P. Beckner And you could distinguish this lights as being different from the star • • • ? T. Tamefuji NNNooo • P. Beckner ••• from the stars? T. Tamefuji P. Beckner T. Tamefuji P. Beckner T.Tamefuji P. Beckner T. Tamefuji P. Beckner T. Tamefuji Different is fine. Okay (unintelligible) Alright ah um. How was it first detected? Was it ~ someone saw it visually, or did you see it on radar? Who, well, how was it first found? What's found, humm? Er, first sighted? Ah, as you know, all the crew ah ••• Right must watch outside? Right So ah, I must watch instrument and ah, outside so, and ah, as normal flight so I have traffic inside, also Captain traffic, inside, but ah, I'm not sure but a engineer landing calculate so he was just sit down back desk calculate ••• P. Beckner (unintelligible) T. Tamefuji departing direction 3 P. Beckner Right T. Tamefuji so maybe he couldn't see at that time, but the Captain and me (unintelligible) have ah, had traffic inside ••• P. Beckner Visually saw . . . T. Tamefuji Yes P. Beckner Okay T. Tamefuji (unintelligible) I saw there was two small aircraft. P. Beckner Okay T. Tamefuji And two small aircraft(unintelligible) P. Beckner That's what you saw? T. Tamefuji Yes P. Beckner Okay T. Tamefuji And ah, and ah, I ask Captain ah, we should ask ATC so ah, I Air Traffic P. Beckner Okay T. Tamefuji So as I thought, ah, very same similiar altitude and Captain said, ah, hum, I don't remember exactly but ah, ah, he said -ah, but a little bit high or same level, but I though little bit lower, you can know ••• P. Beckner Right T. Tamefuji it is very…

Metadata

Agency
—
Classification
UNCLASSIFIED
Department
National Archives and Records Administration
Confidence85
Credibility90

NARA Source

NAID
733667
File
733667-001-009.pdf
Type
application/pdf

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