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Package compiled for FAA managers

FAA via National Archives / The Black Vault · 122 pages · text from the file's own layer

This package was compiled by the FAA Alaskan Region Public Affairs Office in Anchorage and sent to FAA managers with a memo from Paul Steucke dated March 5, 1987. It gathers material on the November 17, 1986 sighting by the crew of Japan Air Lines flight 1628: a news release, pilot and controller transcripts, crew interviews and radar analysis. The FAA concluded that it could not confirm the event. It attributed the second radar target to a split, uncorrelated return from the JAL Boeing 747 and planned no further investigation.

Open the PDF at page 15 Original source ↗

“FAA”38 pages

  • p. 3 CONTENTS March 5, 1987 Selected Haterial Relative to the FAA Investi gation of Japan Air Lines…
  • p. 4 …FAA's Regional Public Affairs Officer Paul Steucke pointed out that FAA normally does not investigate…
  • p. 5 AAL-5, FAA February 4, 1987 SELEX:TED PORI'IONS OF TRANSCRIPI'IOO ~ THE INCIDENI' INVOLVING…
  • p. 6 …Are you (Fairbanks FAA tower) pickin up a primary target right with that aircraft? Ah, ro…
  • p. 7 …Approach center (Fairbanks FAA tower) on the sixty one line. Approach. Look at your radar. We…
  • p. 12 Paul Steucke FAA Public Affairs 701 C Street, Box 14 Anch. AK 99513 ~·1 arch 5…
  • p. 13 …MILE-- SECONDARY RADAR RETURN (Beacon) (Transponder) --11 FAA RADAR SAME AIRCRAFT RETURN (Skin- Surface) --v'-RADAR…
  • p. 16 Paul Steucke FAA, Public Affairs Officer Alaskan Region 701 C Street, Box 14 Anchorage, Alaska 995…
  • p. 17 …Gordon, FSD0-63, and Japanese Interpertor Sayoko Mimoto, FAA Airways Facilities, interviewed JAL Captain Kenju Terauchi…
  • p. 38 …Kenju Terauchi; translated by Sayoko Mimoto, FAA Alaskan Region, Airway Facilities Division. Received by FAA 1…
  • p. 39 …Kenju Terauchi; translated by Sayoko Mimoto, FAA Alaskan Region, Airway Facilities Division. Received by FAA 1…
  • p. 40 …Kenju Terauchi; translated by Sayoko Mimoto, FAA Alaskan Region, Airway Facilities Division. Received by FAA 1…
  • p. 41 …Received by FAA 1/2/87
  • p. 42 …Kenju Terauchi; translated by Sayoko Mimoto, FAA Alaskan Region, Airway Facilities Division. Received ~y FAA 1…
  • p. 43 …Received by FAA 1/2/87
  • p. 44 …Kenju Terauchi; translated by Sayoko Mimoto, FAA Alaskan Region, Airway Facilities Division. Received by FAA 1…
  • p. 45 …Kenju Terauchi; translated by Sayoko Milnoto, FAA Alaskan Region, Airway Facilities Division. Received ~y FAA 1…
  • p. 46 …Kenju Terauchi; translated by Sayoko Mi.mote, FAA Alaskan Region, Airway Facilities Division. Received by FAA…
  • p. 47 …Received by FAA 1/2/87 ---
  • p. 48 …Kenju Terauchi; translated by Sayoko Mimoto, FAA Alaskan Region, Airway Facilities Division. Received 'by !AA 1…
  • p. 49 …Kenju Terauchi; translated by Sayoko Mimoto, FAA Alaskan Region, Airway Facilities Division. Received 'by YAA 1…
  • p. 50 …Kenju Terauchi; translated by Sayoko Mimoto, FAA Alaskan Region, Airway Facilities Division. Received by FAA 1…
  • p. 51 …Beckner, AAL-207, and Japanese Interpertor Sayoko Mimoto, FAA Airways Facilities, interviewed JAL First Officer Takanori…
  • p. 72 …Tamefuji Ah, I read the FAA news hummm, ah, humm, I found military radar picked up…
  • p. 74 ... A JAL flight engineer, Yoshie Tsukuba, was interviewed by Pete Beckner of FAA on January 15…
  • p. 78 …When I was interviewed here at the first time by FAA personnel, I was not sure…
  • p. 88 …holding the data and he said yes. FAA Form 1600°32°112-111 AT ~ra_9e…
  • p. 89 …INTERVIE:WE D/REVI EWE:D - - - - - __ , FAA Form 1600·32° l cz.11, (pt' - JtJ_..,. ~~h…
  • p. 94 …Mickle, FAA S/A - --- - - - - - - - - - - - - - , FAA Form 160:0-32-112.n) FILE NO. - - - - __ _,,_ - -· FOR OFFICIAL USE…
  • p. 95 …AVIATION ADMINISTRATION All'I Tl'IANS,.Ol'ITATION 8ECURITY Captain TEPAIX:lil stated that FAA ATC…
  • p. 100 Paul Steucke, FAA Alaskan Region 701 C St . Box 14 Anc h. AK 99513 March 5…
  • p. 101 …It was noted at the FAA interview of the flight crew, which was conducted when they…
  • p. 102 …have been produced or obtained by the FAA in this investigation. They are listed on the…
  • p. 103 …00 . ) TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED: $. ___________ • FAA WILL PAY COST OF DELIVERY SERVICE BY REGULAR FIRST CLASS U…
  • p. 104 …0 $1.10 6 • FAA Form 3112, Inspection and Surveillance Record; notes by Inspector Jack Wright…
  • p. 105 …Mimoto of FAA Alaskan Region. Enilish translation of item #6. (13 pages) Transcript of Interview with…
  • p. 106 …Selected portions of voice transcriptions, pilot of JAL 1628 and FAA controllers, in chronological order; as…
  • p. 107 …Alert Report from Director of FAA Alaskan Region to FAA Administrator, 12/31/86. Record of…
ANALYSIS OF UNCORRELATED PRIMARY
AND BEACON TARGETS
(JAL-1628, 11 / 17 / 86 AKST)
Approximately 61 minutes of data was extracted from the EARTS CDR
printouts relating to the November 18 incident involving JAL-1628
and the alleged UFO sighting.
Review of the data involving this incident did not show any
abnormalities that could be associated with any type of target as
indicated by the pilot of JAL-1628.
Radar returns from the aircraft and surrounding terrain vary with
the different segments of the flight, but are considered normal
for the area.
Returns relating to the incident can be categorized as three
types: primary radar reinforced by a beacon reply (primary radar
returns and beacon returns are both evident in the same 1/4 mile
range cell), beacon only reply and beacon with an associated
radar reply. Seventy-two percent of the replies were radar with
beacon reinforcement (same range cell) which is normal for the
Murphy dome radar system.
Approximately 25 percent were beacon only and of those that
registered as beacon only, 90 percent of those had a primary only
reply within 1/8 of a mile, either ahead or behind the beacon
target (5 behind, 12 ahead).
Th ese uncorrelated primary returns are not uncommon, due
critical timing associated with the delay adjustments
aircraft transponder for beacon systems and the
correlation circuitry within the radar equipment.
to the
in the
target
Whe n an aircraft is being interrogated as it passes through the
beginning of adjacent range cells the intricate timing between
t h e t wo systems very often is off just enough to declare both a
beacon and a radar target in different range cells, resulting in
uncorrelated radar replies.
Th e data derived from the JAL-1628 flight is representative of
t h e data from another aircraft in the same general area and is
con s i dered normal.
February 25, 1987
-us .'"Dennis R. Simantel
ZAN-AAL-ARTCC

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Document, cited by the archive. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 122 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.