FAA Mail-Order Package: Japan Air Lines UFO Sighting

This document collection details the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) response to the significant public interest surrounding a UFO sighting reported by Japan Air Lines (JAL) Captain Kenjyu Terauchi on November 17, 1986. While flying a Boeing 747 cargo jet from Iceland to Anchorage, Alaska, the pilot reported being shadowed by two belts of light and observing a massive object the size of two aircraft carriers. The FAA Anchorage office received over 200 requests from the media and 46 from individuals for information regarding the incident. In response, the FAA created a comprehensive mail-order package containing interview tapes, pilot drawings, air controller statements, and radar data, priced at $194.30. The agency also allowed for the purchase of individual items, such as cassette tapes and specific forms. The document includes various letters from the public requesting this information, as well as internal routing slips and memoranda. Philip J. Klass, a noted investigator, publicly challenged the sighting, suggesting the pilot had observed an unusually bright image of Jupiter and Mars. The FAA eventually directed inquirers to the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) to purchase the official report (PB87-184206). The collection also contains extraneous materials, including personal correspondence, religious-themed UFO literature, and information regarding other UFO research organizations like MUFON and the Fund for UFO Research.