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Klass and Haines inquiries and FAA responses

FAA via National Archives / The Black Vault · 41 pages · text from the file's own layer

This FAA file, released through The Black Vault, collects correspondence and memos about the Japan Air Lines flight 1628 UFO report over Alaska on November 17, 1986. It includes Philip J. Klass's 1987 Skeptical Inquirer article, which attributes the sighting to Jupiter, Mars and moonlit ice clouds, and FAA Alaskan Region public affairs memos on the premature release of investigation material. It also contains Richard F. Haines's request for the case file and Paul Steucke's reply explaining the radar returns as uncorrelated targets.

Paul Steucke
FAA, Public Affairs Officer
Alaskan Region
701 C Street, Box 14
Anchorage, Al aska 99513
1·1arch 5, 1987
LACK CF "SCIENTIFIC" INVESTIGATION
The Federal Aviation Administration has a number of employees who do
scientific research with re gard to aircraft, aviation, and reiated 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 vi ew, 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
t hat 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
i nformation to the public.
The FAA has completed its investigation of JAL flight 1628, and does not
intend to pursue it any further."
II

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