INFORMATION: Unidentified Traffic Sighting by Japan Airlines

This memorandum, dated December 18, 1986, from the Air Traffic Manager of the Anchorage ARTCC, provides a formal summary of an unidentified traffic sighting reported by Japan Airlines Flight 1628 on November 18, 1986. The document includes an index of supporting materials, such as chronologies, transcriptions, and radar data. According to the chronological summary, the incident began at 0219 UTC when the pilot of JL1628 requested traffic information. Upon being informed there was no traffic, the pilot reported seeing white and yellow strobes approximately one mile in front of the aircraft. Throughout the encounter, the pilot reported the traffic was 'quite big' and observed it descending in formation with their aircraft. At 0226 UTC, the Military Regional Operations Control Center (ROCC) confirmed a primary radar return in the vicinity of the flight, and at 0238 UTC, they reported a 'flight of two' in the aircraft's position, noting they had 'other equipment' watching the situation. Despite these reports, the Anchorage Center's own radar data did not confirm the presence of the traffic. A northbound United Airlines flight was requested to assist in visual confirmation but reported seeing only the Japan Airlines flight against a light background. By 0253 UTC, the pilot of JL1628 reported losing contact with the traffic. The memorandum concludes by stating that a subsequent review of ANC ARTCC radar tracking data failed to confirm any targets in close proximity to the flight, and that no further information had been received from civil or military sources.