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FAA news releases

FAA via National Archives / The Black Vault · 10 pages · text from the file's own layer

This set of Federal Aviation Administration Alaskan Region news releases and notes, dated December 1986 to March 1987, covers the Japan Air Lines Flight 1628 sighting of November 17, 1986. It includes interview notes with Captain Kenjyu Terauchi's crew. The FAA said it could not confirm the event and attributed the second radar target to a split radar return from the 747. The releases also describe an Alaska Airlines weather radar sighting and Terauchi's January 1987 lights, which were attributed to ice crystals.

US. Depa II I 6'1f
a la ISPQ"kJliOi
Federal Aviation
. Admlnlsfrallon
FOR DHJ>IATE RfIFASE
February 6, 1987 f'EB,21,1987)•
186-06 ( 187-09)
News:Office Of Pubic AH1n
Alluan Aeg;on
10 1 C Strut. Box 1'
Anchor1oe. Allua 99513
(907) 271·5298
CONTACT: PAUL STEUCKE
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. ·
more •••
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