Compilation: ATC transcripts, flight path, statements

PE kSONl\EL STATH;El\T
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION
Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center
January 11, 1987
The following is a report concerning the incident to Japan Airlines Flight 628
(JL628), on January 11, 1987, at approximately 1629 UTC.
:My name is Gail Ferguson (GF). I am employed as an Air Traffic Control
Specialist ty the Federal Aviation Administration at the Anchorag e Air Route
Traffic Control Center (ARTCC), Anchorage, Alaska.
During the period of 1 6 30 VIC, January 11, 1987, to 0030 UTC, January 12,
1987, I •:as on duty in the Anchorage ARTCC. I was working the Dl5 position
from 1632 UTC, January 11, 1987, to 1645 UTC, January 11, 19 8 7 and the R/Dl5
posi tion from 1646 UTC, January 11, 1 987 to 1802, UTC, January 11, 1987 .
I arrived for my scheduled shift and ~as told to plug into the Dl5 position to
help Ricky Thompson (RT) because JL628 was reporting an unidentified object.
While RT was working the Rl5 position, I heard JL628 request direct ENN and
advise that traffic had disappeared. I then called Edmonton to take a
transfer on JL6 78. I heard RT ask JL628 if the traffic was in sigtt, and was
told "negative".
After I relieved RT on the Rl5 position, JL628 asked me if there was traffic
in his area and said he was seeing something in the 10 o'clock position at 5-7
miles. I replied "negative". He said he could see navigational lights same
direction, about 2000 feet lower, and a little slower. I responded "negative,
nothing in the area".
I gave traffic information to JL628 on N441VP, (Conquest), 12 o'clock, 125
miles, northbound at FL310. JL628 said he now saw traffic at 9 o'clock, 2000
feet below, 2-3 miles i1ith some kind of navigation lights, flying like a
formation flight. I asked him to verify 9 o'clock and received no reply. I
asked him to say a gain position and received no reply . I asked him again for
a position and JL628 gave n:e his position, 66 38N 1 4702W . I responded tha t I
didn't need his position and asked him to say position of obj ect . I then told
him that I understood he no longer saw the object - reply was unreadable.
JL628 then said he was signaling with his landing lights and it looked like
the object was responding (this transmission was very difficult to
understand). I asked ''understand object is respondin g to your signal" and was
told "I' 11 tell you after landing ". l-]e asked for traffic information on
something 2 o ' clock and 5 miles - I gave him the position of the Conquest
aircraft at 2 o'clock a nd 1 5 miles northbound at FL310 .
The ROCC called and asked about the Conques t. I told him I had given JL628
that traffic. Later JL628 said the object ha d disappeared .
Gai l Ferguson v
Air Traffic Control Specialist
Anchorat;e ARTCC
)