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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.
“Japan Air Lines Flight 1628”2 pages
PHILIP J. KLASS 404 "N" ST . SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON . D . C . 20024 (202> 15154 . 15901 April 8, 1987 -Mr. Paul Steucke Public Affairs Officer FAA Alaskan Region 701 " C" St., Box 14 Anchor age, Ala. 99513 Dear Paul: ~ - · I' I I must again ask you to recheck the question of JAL-1628's f l ight path on the basis of the following: Your marked flight path shows VOR, then J-120 to the Fairbanks si ngle 45 deg. turn to the right Talkneetna. JAL fl y ing J-529 to Ft. Yukon VOR, followed by a (roughly) to Nenana VOR, then J-125 to This is in conflict with the transcript of pilot-radio co mmuni cations where two heading changes were requested and both were approved withaut pilot withdrawing first request. 0223:37 Yukon." 0230:23 0230:31 0234:56 0235:02 Controller reports JAL is about "40 miles south of Ft. JAL asks to change to mag heading of 240. Controller approves change to heading of 240 JAL asks to change to mag heading of 210. Approval granted. 1. The foregoing implies that JAL made a right turn of roughly 57 deg. (240 - 183) shortly after 0230:31. And that roughly five minute s later, JAL turned 30 deg. to its left, to a heading of 210 deg. 2. Yet your reconst r ucted flight path shows only a single right turn of roughly 45 deg. to a heading of roughly 210 deg. 3. Further, at 0235:30, Controller D-15 (communicating with Fairbank s approach control) says that JAL was "about five miles north of Fairbanks VOR." Your reconstructed flight path shows JAL pas si ng directly over the Fairbanks VOR. 4. You r reconstruction shows JAL making its 360-deg. turn over Fairbank s . But approval to mak e the turn was not given until 0236:47--more than one minute after JAL was reported 5 miles north of Fairbanks--during which time the aircraft would have travell ed a distance of roughly 10 miles.
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