Documents / Document
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.
“Fairbanks”17 pages
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PERSONNEL STATEMENT
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION
Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center
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The following is a report concerning the incident to aircraft JL1628 on
November 18 , 1986 at 0230 UTC.
My name is Carl E. Henley (HC) I am employed as an Air Traffic Control
Specialist by the Federal Aviation Administration at the Anchorage Air Route
Traffic Control Center, Anchorage, Alaska.
During the period of 2030 UTC, November 17, 1986, to 0430 UTC, November 18,
1986 I was on duty in the Anchorage ARTCC. I was working the Dl5 position
f r om 0156 UTC, November 18, 1986 to 0230 UTC, November 18, 1986.
At approximately 0225Z while monitoring JL1628 on Sector 15 radar, the
aircraft requested traffic information. I advised no traffic in his
vicinity. The aircraft advised he had traffic 12 o'clock same altitude. I
asked JL1628 if he would like higher/lower altitude and the pilot replied,
negative. I checked with ROCC to see if they had military traffic in the area
and to see if they had primary targets in the area. ROCC did have primary
ta r get in the same position JL1628 reported. Several times I had single
primary returns where JL1628 reported traffic. JL1628 later requested a turn
to heading 210°, I approved JL1628 to make deviations as necessary for
traffic. The traffic stayed with JL1628 through turns and decent in the
vi cinity of FAI I requested JL1628 to make a right 3600 turn to see if he
could identify the aircraft, he lost contact momentarily, at which time I
observed a primary target in the 6 o'clock position 5 miles. I then vectored
UA69 northbound to FAI from ANC with his approval to see if he could identify
t he aircraft , he had contact with the JL1628 flight but reported no other
traffic , by this time Jll628 had lost contact with the traffic. Also a
military C-130 southbound to EDF from EIL advised he had plenty of fuel and
wou l d take a look, I vectored him toward the flight and climbed him to FL240,
he also had no contact.
Note : I requested JL1628 to identify the type or markings of the aircraft.
He could not identify but reported white and yellow strobes. I requested the
JL1628 t? say flight conditions, he reported clear and no clouds.
November 19, 1986 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.