NARA-JAL1628-733667-001-024 — JAL 1628: FAA public affairs news releases

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FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION
ALASKAN REGION
701 C Street, Anchorage, Alaska,

DECEMBER 30, 1986
CONTACT: PAUL STEUCKE,

( 9 0 7)

FAA,

99513

PUBLIC A FF AI RS,

ALASKA

2 7 1 - 5.2 9 6

The fol lowing information constructed from personal handwritten
notes, has been provided to Paul Steucke, FAA Public Affairs
Officer, Alaskan Region, by Jim Derry, Manager, FAA Security
Division, Alaskan Region, and constitutes the information
obtained in personal interviews held the evening of Novmber 17,
1986, at Anchorage Internati anal Airport, with the flight crew of
Japan Air Lines f Ii ght 1628, enroute from Europe and I eel and/ to
Toyko, vi a Anchorage, Alaska.
A t t end i n g t he i n t er v i e w we r e : J i m D·e r r y , Ma n a g er , Sec u r i t y
Di vision, FAA: Ron Mickle, Investigator, FAA Security: Jack
IN r i g ht , I n vest i g at or , FA A F 1 i g ht St and a r d s Di s t ·r i ct 0 f f i c e, t he
Manager of the JAL Anchor age Off i ce: and the f I i ght er ew Captain Kenjyu Terauchi .; First Officer Takonori Tamefuj i; and
Flight Engineer Yoshi o Tsukuda.
The interviews were in response to the sighting of unknown and
uni denti fi ed air traffic which accompanied the flight from the
Al a$ka Canadian border on the north along a flight pl an which
flows approximate! y from Ft. Yukon, Alaska, to Fairbanks, to
Anchorage.

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FL! GHT NUMBER JAL 1628, Dep. Reykjavik, I eel and.
ADI Z, HL529 ... J529 ••. (Airway numbers) Contact at POTAT()
Visual contact.. can see FA!, over FAI did 360 degrees.
S. MJ-125, Route

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JAL #1628,

Notes,

FAA,

Alaska

Used onboard color radar, located aircraft, 7 miles.
Size: "As big as 8747 or larger, erratic movement."
Lights: Yel I ow, Amber, Green, No red.
Rot-at i ng Beacon. Many
small lights.
One object, two sets of Ii ghts.
Speed of JAL B747: . 84 Mach, ( Ap-proxi mate! y 525 knots)
ATC (Air Traffic Control) picked up target.
Target broke off ---40 N of TKA - (Talkeetna)
Radio: Received static only in VHF mode. (Abnormal)
JAL aircraft on instrument navigation.
Flight Crew observation: Normal, professional, ·rational, no
drug or al coho! involvement.
Drawings of situation provided by Captain.
Normal language difficulty between flight crew and
interviewer.
**Note:

Exact conversion to mph or knts is difficult as i t
varies due to eve! ati on (air density), weather, wind,
etc. )

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News:

U.S Department
Of TronsportotiOn

Office of Public Attars
Alaskan Region
701 C Street. Box 14
Anchorage. Alaska 995 13
(907) 271-5296

Federal Aviation
Administration

FOR RELEASE ON
MARCH 5 , 1987

CONTACT: PAUL STEUCKE

1187-09
FM REI .E:A$f$ DOCUl£HIS ON

REPORTED UFO SIGHTING LAST NOYEMBER
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 corrmunications, 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.
Tec hnically, this is known as an "uncorrelated primary and beacon target
return.'' It means that the primary radar signal reflected off the aircraft's
surface did not correlate exactly with the pulse e~itted by the aircraft's
radar beacon transponder. This phenomenon is not unusual and gives the
impression of two separate radar targets.
Steucke also noted that FAA controllers who monitored the JAL aircraft said
in their statements that they thought there might have been another aircraft
because of the dual radar targets. However, a northbound United Air Lines jet
that was diverted by controllers to intercept the JAL flight path did establish
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
Terauchi said he had visual contact from approximately the U.S.-Canadian border
to sout h of Fairbanks. On Jan. 11, 1987, Captain Terauchi also reported
another sighting in the same general area as the first.
Steucke said FAA is satisfied that the safety of the air traffic control
s ystem was not compromised by the Nov. 17 incident and plans no further
investigation of the circumstances.
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Paul Steucke, FAA
Alaskan Region
701 C St. Box 14
Anch. AK 99513

March 5 , 1987

UNIDEHI'IFIEJ> AIR TRAFFIC SIGKl'IMJ.S, ALASKA

(1) An Alaska Airlines flight crew of a Boeing 737 aircraft, flight #53,
enroute from Nome to Anchorage, Alaska, on January 29, 1987, reported to the
FAA Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center, the sighting of unidentified
air traffic on their onboard weather radar system. The incident occurred at
about 6:39 pm, 60 miles west of the cormrunity of ~~Grath, which is
approximately 200 miles northwest of Anchorage. The aircraft was flying at
35,000 feet altitude at night, and the weather was clear.

Both pilots noticed the target on their weather radar scope and looked out
the window to see if there was any "traffic" in front of them. At no time did
either crewmember see anything outside the aircraft. The area is not within
radar coverage of the FAA and the military reported they did not have any
aircraft operating in the area at the time.
The flight crew of the Alaska Airlines passenger aircraft reported that the
target on their radar moved at a very high rate of speed, approximately 5 miles
on each sweep of the radar (5 miles per second). As the target moved off their
radar in front of them, they changed the range of their radar from 50 miles to
100 miles and saw the target briefly before it became lost in the ground
clutter created by the Alaska Range of mountains. The flight crew was
interviewed by FAA inspectors when they landed at Anchorage. The FAA has no
opinions or conclusions regarding the sighting.
(2) On January 11, 1987, at approximately 7:30 am (Sunday), Captain Kenjyu
Terauchi, piloting Japan Airlines flight #628, a Boeing 747 aircraft from
Iceland to Japan via Anchorage, Alaska, reported to the FAA Air Route Traffic
Control Center in Anchorage, that he was seeing a group of unusual lights in
front of his aircraft.

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- 2The Captain requested the Center to record l1is description: "Ah, would you
please, ah, record my voice, ah, ah, ah ... this is Japanese. Futeikina raito ga
mieter iru. Choodo ookina kuroi katamari ga mae ni iru. Kyorinishite go r.ia iru.
Dooyara uchuusen no moyoo." English translation: "We see irregular pulsating
lights just there is a large black chunk just in front of us distance is five
miles it seems to be a spaceship. Ah, it likes, ah, UFO, please, ah, check on
your radar. Over."
The cargo aircraft was about 240 nautical miles norti1 of Nenana, Alaska, at
37,000 feet elevation. The weather was clear with a temperature inversion
reported at 23,500 feet.
Captain Terauchi reported the lights appeared in front of the aircraft,
about 2,000 feet below, moved below the aircraft, and then disappeared behind
the aircraft. The phenomenon then occurred again at approximately 151 nautical
miles north of Nenana.
It was noted at the FAA interview of the flight crew, which was conducted
when they landed at Anchorage, tha~ the aircraft flight path was north of and
directly over the town of Arctic Village, Alaska, at the time of the first
sighting and 45 nautical miles northwest and west of the village of Fort Yukon
during the second sighting.
Captain Terauchi said at the FAA interview that he thought the unusual
lights he saw were those village lights that had been obscured or changed by
ice crystals present in the atmosphere (the temperature inversion). The FAA has
concluded its inquiry into this report and agrees with the Captain that the
phenomena was most likely caused by ice crystals created by the reported
temperature inversion.
(3) The crew of a Flying Tigers Flight #73, Boeing 747, cargo aircraft,
flying at 37,000 feet, reported observing a "target" heading 320 degrees as it
approached Anchorage on November 21, 1985. The Air Force was unable to confirm
the sighting. This sighting was not investigated by the FAA and there is no
f ile or retrievable data.

Steucke said, "The FAA is not in the UFO business and is not interested in
reports that do not involve aircraft or the air traffic cont.rel system."

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March 5, 1987

Paul Steucke
FAA, Public Affairs Officer
Alaskan Region
701 C Street, Box 14
Anchorage, Alaska 99513

LACK CF nscIEHTIFIC" INVESTIGATION

The Federal Aviation Administration has a number of employees who do
scientific research with regard to aircraft, aviation, and related electronic
equipment. The FAA does not have the resources or the Congressional mandate to
investigate sightings of unidentified flying objects.
We have not tried to determine what the crew of Japan Airlines flight 1628
saw based on scientific analysis of the stars, planets, magnetic fields, angle
of view, etc. We have received letters from several persons suggesting that we
ask the crew and others a variety of detailed questions from a scientific
viewpoint. This we have not done and do not intend to do. We reviewed the data
that was created by our systems, the interviews that were done by FAA to
detennine the status of the crew and the aircraft, and have provided that
information to the public.
The FAA has completed its investigation of JAL flight 1628, and does not
intend to pursue it any further."

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News:

US. Depa II I 6'1f

a la ISPQ"kJliOi

Office Of Pubic AH1n
Alluan Aeg;on
10 1 C Strut. Box 1'
Anchor1oe. Allua 99513
(907) 271·5298

Federal Aviation
. Admlnlsfrallon

CONTACT: PAUL STEUCKE
FOR DHJ>IATE RfIFASE

February 6, 1987 <REVISE'> f'EB,21,1987)•

186-06 ( 187-09)

umom TRAFFIC smrrm Br ALASKA AIRLUE.S CHEW
Oii 0HEmRD WEADER RADAR

The Alaska Airlines flight crew of a Boeing 737 aircraft, flight 153,
enroute from Nane to Anchorage, Alaska, on January 29, 1987, reported to the
FAA Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center, the sighting of unidentified
air traffic on their onboard weather radar system. The incident occured at
about 6:39 pm, 60 miles west of the camllnity of McGrath, which .is
approximately 200 miles northwest of Anchorage. The aircraft was flying at
35,000 feet altitude at night, the weather was clear.
Both pilots noticed the target on their weather radar scope and looked to
see if there was any "traffic" in front of them. At no time did either
creWllleDlber see anything outside the aircraft. The Captain asked .the FAA air
traffic contoller in Anchorage if there was •any traffic in this-ah-area, ·do
you---headed towards Anchorage?".
The FAA controllers at the air route control center in Anchorage reported a
piper navajo at twelve thousand outbound fran Anchorage towards McGrath, and a
Beech estimated to be over McGrath at 4:04 pm, but nothing else.
The Alaska Airlines Captain responded, "Okay, we're just curious. Up at
about our altitude (35,000) ah •• headed that direction-thanks- ••• You haven"t
had any UFO reports lately ••• huh?". The controller responded, "Well I was just
getting ready to Uk you about that ••• ah ••• could you tell me ••• ah ••• the
position of that aircraft.•
The area is not within radar coverage of the FAA air route traftic control
center. Control of aircraft in the area is done by the center with the use of
radio contact. The controller on duty checked with the USAF, Alaskan Air
Ccmnand, and was told that they did not have military aircr:aft operating in
that area at that time.
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-2- ALASKA AIRLINES RADAR SIGHTING, JAN.29, 1987.
The flight crew reported that the target on their radar moved at a very high
rate of speed, approximately 5 miles on each sweep or the radar (5 MILES PER
SECOND). As the target moved off their radar they changed the range of their
radar from 50 miles to 100 miles and saw the target briefly before it becal?I!
lost in the ground clutter created by the Alaska Range of mountains.
The flight crew was interviewed by FAA inspectors When they landed at
Anchorage.
Material developed as a result of this investigation will be released on or
about March 5 , 1987 , in Anchorage, Alaska.
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• Release updated due to additional available material from inquiry.

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News:

U.S. Department

Office of Public Affairs
Alaskan Region
701 C Street, Box 14
Anchorage. Alaska 99513
(907) 271·5296

ot Transportation

Federal Aviation

. Administration

CONTACT: PAUL STEUCKE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FEBRUARY 23, 1987
1187-08

FAA PRESS CONFEREM;E
MARCH 5, 1987 ••• lO:QO AM

AI

FM CONFERENCE ROOM, THIRD FLOOR, EAST END, ANCHORAGE, FED. BUILDING

REI.EASE AIL MATERIALS RELATIVE TO THE INQUIRY Of THE

JAL FLIGHf 1628 SIGHI'ING Of
UNIDENTIFIED AIR TRAFFIC
ON N:>YEHBER 17, 1986
Information and materials collected and reviewed by the Federal Aviation
Administration in its inquiry to determine if unauthorized or unidentified air
traffic was using the air travel corridor along with Japan Airlines flight
1628, on November 17, 1986, will be made available to the public and news media
at the above listed location and time.
We would appreciate your RSVP 907/271-5293 so that we can be sure to have a
room large enough to accorrmodate press interest. It is difficult to predict
media interest in this conference.
Materials and briefings by FAA Regional Public Affairs Officer Paul Steucke
will provide the following information.

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Presentation of FAA results/position,
FAA radar system and split beacon/targets,
Photographs, black & white, color of radar images,
Voice recordings on cassette of Pilot & Air Route Traffic Control
Center, FAA interviews of Pilot and Crew, and written transcripts
of same,
Written statement by Captain Terauchi,
Written statements by air traffic controllers,
List/Order Form to obtain all materials,
Response to questions.

A pre-recorded message on this subject, suitable for broadcast, will be
available on the FAA Media Message Recorders, at 10:05 am, March 5, 1987,
Alaska Standard Time; call area code 907/277-7073, or 907/277-7122..
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Same location: Alaska

• NARA-JAL1628-733667-001-007 — JAL 1628: written statement by Capt. Terauchi (English translation by Sakoyo Mimoto)
• NARA-JAL1628-733667-001-008 — JAL 1628: transcript of FAA interview with Capt. Terauchi by Dick Gordon (2 Jan 1987)
• NARA-JAL1628-733667-001-012 — JAL 1628: FAA chronology of events
• NARA-JAL1628-733667-001-023 — JAL 1628: FAA explanation of the split beacon target
• NARA-JAL1628-733667-001-025 — JAL 1628: record of communication with the FAA administrator and the U.S. Air Force

Same period: 1986

• DOE-UAP-D003 — Pajarito Astronomers Invitation, 1986