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First Officer Tamefuji interview, Peter Beckner, 5 Jan 1987

FAA via National Archives / The Black Vault · 24 pages · text from the file's own layer

This FAA record of interview documents a session held January 5, 1987, at the Federal Building in Anchorage, Alaska. Inspector Peter E. Beckner of AAL-207 questioned JAL First Officer Takanori Tamefuji, with interpreter Sayoko Mimoto, about the November 17, 1986 sighting. Tamefuji said he saw very bright, multicolored lights resembling head-on traffic for about five to ten minutes, along with a large green echo on the airborne radar. His seat position kept him from seeing it after that. He rejected reflection and weather explanations and said he was certain he saw something.

T. Tamefuji (unintelligible)
P. Beckner Okay. How ' bout the autopilot, did - was it on autopilot?
T. Tamefuji Yes
P ~ Beckner Okay, did the autopilot kick off?
T. Tamefuji No
P. Beckner Er, it stayed on all the time?
T. Tamefuji No
P. Beckner Okay. Urn, let me just read my notes here and see if I have got
everything I needed to ask you about. You say that you had
suggested to the Captain that you call Center and ask if they had
any targets?
T. Tamefuji Hum •
P. Beckner About how long after you first saw this did you go, b-before
asking about calling Center?
T. Tamefuji Hummm, hum " at first in my mind
P. Beckner Right, yeah
T. Tamefuji and conversation so it was not too long but, ah - hummm, I
can't say exactly but two or three minutes.
P. Beckner Okay, okay. Um - Was the Captain the first one to spot the ob -
the ah, lights?
T. Tamefuji The who?
P. Beckner First saw the object?
T. Tamefuji Hummm , I think ah, at the same time, almost.
P. Beckner Okay
T. Tamefu ji But ah , i t i s not impossible to at same time . . .
P. Beckner Right, but
T. Tamefuj i (unintelligible)
P. Beckner but - but communicating, yeah.
T. Tamefu j i Humm, um, not so much different between
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