Correspondence Regarding JAL Cargo Jet UFO Sighting Investigation Packet

This document collection consists of numerous letters and memoranda of call directed to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) office in Anchorage, Alaska, during early 1987. The correspondence is almost exclusively from private citizens, journalists, and researchers requesting information regarding the November 17, 1986, sighting of an Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon (UAP) by a Japan Air Lines (JAL) cargo jet piloted by Captain Kenjyu Terauchi. The pilot reported that his Boeing 747 was shadowed by two belts of light and observed a massive object the size of two aircraft carriers while flying from Iceland to Alaska. The FAA responded to the overwhelming public interest by creating an information packet for sale, priced at $194.30, which included crew interview tapes, drawings by the pilot, air traffic controller statements, and radar data. The documents show that the FAA also offered individual items for sale, with orders under $5 being provided free of charge. Many correspondents specifically requested these free items or price lists for the full package. The collection highlights the significant public and media attention the incident received, with the FAA reporting over 200 requests from news media and 46 from individuals. While the FAA provided documentation, Philip J. Klass, a noted UFO investigator, publicly dismissed the sighting as an observation of the planets Jupiter and Mars. Despite this, the pilot maintained that the objects were not man-made and exhibited high intelligence.