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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.

Philip J. Kla ss
Technica l Journalist
Paul Steucke: -2- May 21, 1987
Whi le I am convinced that Jupiter was the "UFO" for the
latter portion of the flight from Nenana south, I no longer
thi nk it was the "culprit" for the earlier portion of the flight
but have another candidate which I am now exploring, and which
explains why I ne e d clarification of the precise flight path
Finally, there is a go o d chance that I may be flying to
Seattle on /about May 7 to appear on a TV show there dealing with
UFOs.
I would be de lighted to fly from Seattle to Anchorage to
give my standard UFO lecture to your controllers, to provide them
wi th a better understanding of the issues. Most of the lecture
deals with incidents involving airline and military pilots and
demo n strates how easily they can mistake prosaic objects for
myst e rious UFOs--even in broad daylight.
If there is any interest
controllers, I'd be delighted
transportation from Seattle and
will underwrite my travel costs
in such a lecture
to come up if FAA can
back to Seattle. (The
from D.C. to Seattle.)
among your
underwrite
TV station
Would appreciate a prompt response to my flight path
question.
Cordially,
Philip J. Klass
Contributing Avionics Editor:
Av1a t1on Week & Spa ce Technology
High Technology
404 " N" St. Southwes t
Washing ton, D.C. 20024
(202) 554-5901

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