733667-001-011
AI Summary
This document details the FAA's investigation into the sighting of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) by Japan Airlines Flight 1628 on November 17, 1986. The FAA released various materials including transcripts, interviews, and radar data, concluding that the radar anomalies reported were due to uncorrelated radar signals rather than unidentified aircraft.
Key Findings
- The FAA could not confirm the sighting of another aircraft near JAL Flight 1628. - Radar data indicated an 'uncorrelated primary and beacon target' phenomenon. - The crew reported seeing lights that did not correspond with any known aircraft. - Interviews with the flight crew described the sighting in detail, including the appearance of lights and their movements. - The FAA stated that it does not have the resources to conduct scientific investigations into UFO sightings.
OCR Text
U.S. Department of Transportation Federa l Avia tion A dministration Memorandum Subject I NFORMATION Date: March 5, 1987 From: To: Material relative to JAL, Nov. 17, 86, sighting of unidentified air traffic PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER, AAL-5 ALL REGIONAL FACILITY MANAGERS REGIONAL DIVISION MANAGERS AND STAFF OFFICERS Reply to Attn. of: The attached selected information regarding the November 17, 1986, sighting of unidentified air traffic by the crew of JAL flight 1628, has been forwarded to you for you use. This is public information, no copyright, and you can share it with anyone else. Thought you might like to read the data yourself. Sincerely , ~---~ \-~ . ~'. ) ,c___) ~~ Paul Steucke Public Affairs Officer CONTENTS March 5, 1987 Selected Haterial Relative to the FAA Investigation of Japan Air Lines flight 1628 Sighting of Unidentified Air Traffic on November 17, 1986. 1. Alaskan Region News Release #87-09, "Release of Documents ••• " 2 . Selected Portions of (Voice) Transcriptions, Pilot/Controllers. 3. "Uncorrelated Radar Signals", an explanation. 4. "Lack of "Scientific" Investigation", a statement. 5. Record (transcript) of interview with JAL Captain Terauchi. 6. Drawings by Captain Terauchi. 7. "Meeting the Future", statement by Captain Terauchi. 8 . Record (transcript) of interview with JAL First Officer. 9. Record (transcript) of interview with J AL Flight Engineer. 10. Statements of air traffic controllers at Anchorage Center. 11. Investigator statement, Form 1600-32, Jarr.es Derry. 12. Investigator statement, Form 1600-32, Ronald Mickle. 13. Inspection & Surveillance Record, James Wright. 14. Other "Unidentified Air Traffic" sightings, FAA file, Alaska. Prepared by FAA Public Affairs Office AAL-5 Alaskan Region 701 C St., Box 14, Anchorage, AK, 99513 - U.S. Department ot Transportation Federal Aviation Administration FOR RELEASE ON MARCH 5 , 1987 #87-09 News: Office of Public Affairs Alaskan Region 701 C Street. Box 14 Anchorage. Alaska 995 13 (907) 271-5296 CONTACT: PAUL STEUCKE FM RELEASES DOCUMENTS ON REPORTED UFO SIGITTING LAST OOVEMBER The Federal Aviation Administration today released documents relating to the reported sighting of an unidentified flying object (UFO) over Alaska by a Japan Air Lines flight crew on November 17, 1986, saying it was unable to confirm the event. The material was issued by FAA's Regional Office in Anchorage, Alaska, and included transcripts of pilot-controller corrrnunications, interviews with controllers and the flight crew, radar plots and other data. FAA's Regional Public Affairs Officer Paul Steucke pointed out that FAA normally does not investigate UFO sightings but pursued the JAL incident in its role as the operator of the air traffic control system. He said the agency's objective was to determine if there was an unreported aircraft in the vicinity of the JAL flight that could present a safety hazard. As part of the inquiry, Steucke said, radar data of the JAL flight track was reviewed by FAA experts at the agency's Technical Center in Atlantic City, N.J., using identical equipment. They determined that a second radar target near the JAL flight at the time of the reported sighting was not another aircraft but rather a split radar return from the JAL Boeing 747. Techni cally, this is known as an "uncorrelated primary and beacon target return. " It means that the primary radar signal reflected off the aircraft 1 s surface did not correlate exactly with the pulse err.itted by the aircraft's radar beacon transponder. This phenomenon is not unusual and gives the i mpression of two separate radar targets. Steucke a l so noted t hat FAA controllers who monitored the JAL aircraf t said i n their statements that they thought there might have been another aircraft because of the dual radar targets. However, a northbound United Air Lines jet t h at was diverted by controllers to intercept the JAL flight path did establis h visual contact with that aircraft but the pilots saw nothing else. The Nov. 17 UFO sighting was reported by JAL Captain Kenjyu Terauchi on a cargo flight over the polar cap from Iceland to Japan via Anchorage. Captain Ter auc hi said he had visual contact from approximately the U.S.-Canadian border to south of Fairbanks . On Jan. 11, 1987, Captain Terauchi also reported a nother sight ing in the same general area as the first. Steucke said FAA is satisfied that the safety of the air traffic control sys tem was not compromi sed by the lfov. 17 incident and plans no further investigation of the circumstances. I I I AAL-5, FAA February 4, 1987 SELEX:TED PORI'IONS OF TRANSCRIPI'IOO ~ THE INCIDENI' INVOLVING JAPAN AIRLINES FLIGHr 1628 00 NOVEMBER 18, 1986, AT APPROXIMATELY 0218 Ul'C (Universal Time Coordinated -Novent>er 17, 1986 Alaska Standard Time, 6:18 p.m.) 0219 : 15 JL1628 0219: 32 R/Dl5 0219: 36 JL1628 0221:19 R/Dl5 0221: 35 JL…
Metadata
- Agency
- —
- Classification
- UNCLASSIFIED
- Department
- National Archives and Records Administration
- Catalog source
- View NARA catalog record
NARA Source
- NAID
- 733667
- File
- 733667-001-011.pdf
- Type
- application/pdf
No machine-readable OCR text for this asset. Photographs without captions may have no extractable text.