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This FAA file, released through the National Archives and The Black Vault, collects 1987 newspaper clippings about Japan Air Lines Flight 1628. Capt. Kenju Terauchi reported that lights and a huge walnut-shaped object followed his 747 cargo jet over Alaska on November 17, 1986. The articles quote FAA spokesman Paul Steucke saying the radar returns were a split image and military clutter, and report Philip Klass's explanation that Terauchi saw Jupiter and Mars. Terauchi's second sighting in January was attributed to village lights reflecting off ice crystals.
There's no t ^plaining ^ose lights 0 1 JAL crew reports 'strange' sighting a AnodBted Prm The Federal Aviation Admin- istration today said Itcouldn't ex- \j\ plain strange flashing lights that spooked the crew of a Japan Air Lines 747 cargo plane as it flew over northernAlaska last month. "We are not investigating as there is nothing to investigate." said Paul Steucke, FAA spokes man in Anchorage. He said the military has been ijnable —or unwilling —to pro vide any information. "They're saying nothing," Steucke said. The incident begaii at 6:19 p.m. Nov. 17 as the JAL plane was headed for Anchorage on awas headed for Anchorage on a y JUght from Europe via Iceland .J' / mm its way to Tokyo. As the A• •• I IT e Jflt :raft entered U.S. lunction 01 aufort Sea, the pilot report^ seeing imusualwhite andyellow flashing li^ts. The li^ts were approxi- mately 8rnjlfiaaway. atAesgm^ altitudegf^^•gndtravel- %nO ing at thesanirSpe«l and in the same direction as the JAL plane, thepiloHeported. Steucke said the pilot called the air traffic control center and asked if there was any reported traffic in the vicinity. A control ler replied that there was no ^known traffic in the ar^, but . 'that he had an unidentified blip on his radar. Steucke said a subsequent re view of the radar tapes did not reveal any such object, but that the controller insisted it was there. Asthe lights continued to pace the 747, the pilot requested per mission to ctongealtitude. As he. descended to 31,000 feet, the lights followed "in formation," Steucke said. The pilot then requested per mission to make a 36(klegree TUESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 30, Sighting: Nothing Continued from page A-1 turn to see if the lights would fol- Jow fllpon completing the ma^ neuver, the pilot reported losing contact with the lights. _> ~5teucKe saiQ raoar operators in Fairbanks picked up nothing " on their screens in the vicinity of the JAL flight. And he said a United Airlines flight headed to-' ward Fairbanks spotted the JAL plane but saw nothing else in the sky nearby. Military authorities were noti fied of the sightmg within a few minutes of the initial report^ but it's not known what—if anyfliing m # —they did about it. Steuckesaid. The JAL crew members were interviewed by the FAA upon ar rival in Anchorage. Steucke said they all appeared to be "well- trained, professional, rational and not affected by drugs or al cohol." He said all three reported that the blinking lights accompaiued their plane for about 50 miles across the northem Alaska sl^. The entire incident lasted about 30 minutes, Steucke said. As for the time lag since the incident, Steucke said: "We didn't exactly broadcast it until the news media dug it up." Co ro th pc th be m y- ti: fe ei \
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