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Prepared by FAA, AK, REGION PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE, (IT DEHETES ER'S, AH'S, FADDS PUNCTUATION)
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| CONCERNING THE INCIIDENT INVOLVING JAPAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 1628 ON NOVEMBER 18, 1986, AT APPROXIMATELY 0218 UTC (Universal Time Coordinated - November 17, 1986 Alaska Standard Time, 6:18 p.m.) | ||
| 0219:15 | JL1628 | Anchorage Center, Japan Air sixteen twenty eight; ah do you have any traffic, ah seven o'clock above? |
| 0219:32 | R/D15 | Japan Air sixteen twenty eight heavy; negative. |
| 0219:36 | JL1628 | Ah, Japan Air sixteen twenty eight; roger and, ah we insight-ah-two traffic-ah, in front of us one mile, about. |
| 0221:19 | R/D15 | Japan Air sixteen twenty eight heavy; Sir if your able to identify the type of aircraft, ah-and see if you can tell whether its military or civilian. |
| 0221:35 | JL1628 | Ah, Japan Air sixteen twenty eight; we cannot identify ah, the type, ah but, ah we can see, ah navigation lights and ah, strobe lights. |
| 0221:48 | R/D15 | Roger sir, say the color of the strobe and beacon lights? |
| 0221:56 | JL1628 | The color is ah, - white and yellow, I think. |
| 0223:37 | R/D15 | Ya, could you (ROCC) look ah, approximately forty miles south of Fort Yukon, there should be a code up there of one five-five-zero. Can you tell me you see a primary target about his position? |
| 0225:02 | R/D15 | Japan Air sixteen twenty eight heavy; roger. Sir, I'm picking up a-ah, hit on the radar approximately five miles in trail of your six o'clock position, do you concur? |
| 0225:12 | JL1628 | Ah negative, ah eleven o'clock, ah eight miles, ah same level over. |
| 0225:43 | ROCC | Okay, I've got your squawk. It looks like I am getting some surge, primary return, ah I don't know if it's erroneous or whatever but... |
JL1628 = Japan Air Lines flight #1628
R15 = Controller position, Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center
D15 = Controller position, Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center
ROCC = (Military) Regional Operations Command Center
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page two - flight 1628
| 0225:50 | R/D15 | Negative, uhuh, it's not erroneous. I want you (ROCC) to keep a good track on there, and if you pick up a code, and verify that you do not have any aircraft operating in that area military. |
| 0225:57 | ROCC | That is affirm. We do not have anybody up there right now, ah. Can you give me the position of the primary your receiving? |
| 0226:03 | R/D15 | Okay, I'm not. I'm ah, picking up a primary - approximately five zero miles, south, right up there - right in front of the ah, one five five zero code. |
| 0226:18 | ROCC | Okay, I've got him about his-ah, oh-it looks like about, ah-ten o'clock, at about that range, yes. |
| 0226:25 | R/D15 | Alright keep an eye on that, and ah-see if-ah, any other military (unintelligible) in that area. |
| 0227:53 | ROCC | It is an unknown, okay, we've lost contact with it now. |
| 0230:56 | JL1628 | It's ah, I think ah, very quite big ah, plane. |
| 0231:48 | R15 | Are you (Fairbanks FAA tower) pickin up a primary target right with that aircraft? |
| 0231:58 | FBKS | Ah, no. It's (the JL1628) the only target I see there. |
| 0232:04 | R15 | If you see a primary with it, keep your eye on it. And he should be at three five oh(zero) also. |
| 0232:05 | FBKS | Alright, very good, we're watching. |
| 0232:07 | JL1628 | Japan Air sixteen twenty eight, ah request descent. |
| 0232:20 | JL1628 | Japan Air sixteen twenty eight, request three one zero. |
| 0232:25 | R15 | Japan Air sixteen twenty eight heavy, understand, requesting flight level three one zero. |
| 0232:41 | R15 | Japan Air sixteen one or correction sixteen twenty eight heavy, descend at pilot discretion-maintain flight level three one zero. |
| 0232:45 | JL1628 | Leaving three five zero to three one zero. |
| 0232:58 | R15 | Japan Air sixteen twenty eight heavy, do you still have your traffic? |
| 0233:00 | JL1628 | Still, ah, coming ah, ah, right formation, in ah formation. |
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page 3 - flight 1628
| 0234:52 | R15 | Japan Air sixteen twenty eight heavy, understand your traffic is over Fairbanks at this time. |
| 0234:56 | JL1628 | Affirmative -- ah request heading two one zero. |
| 0235:02 | R15 | Japan Air sixteen twenty eight heavy, roger. Deviations approved as necessary for traffic. |
| 0235:24 | D15 | Approach center (Fairbanks FAA tower) on the sixty one line. |
| 0235:27 | FBKS | Approach. |
| 0235:30 | D15 | Look at your radar. We got a Japan Air one six two eight, ah-he's deviating. He's about ah-five miles north of Fairbanks V-O-R squawking one five five zero. |
| 0235:39 | D15 | Do you have any traffic with him? He sees traffic, he was deviating. |
| 0235:44 | FBKS | Ah - ya, no we don't. I don't see anything there aside from his, ah-his target. |
| 0236:12 | JL1628 | Ah-Anchorage Center; Japan Air one six two eight, request direct ah-Talkeetna. |
| 0236:18 | R15 | Japan Air sixteen twenty eight heavy, cleared direct Talkeetna, and in-ah-advise me of your position of your traffic? |
| 0236:24 | JL1628 | Ah, same po, same position. |
| 0236:37 | R15 | Japan Air sixteen twenty eight heavy, ah-sir I'm gonna request you to make a right turn, three six zero degrees, three hundred and sixty degree turn, and advise me what your traffic does then. |
| 0236:47 | JL1628 | Right turn, three sixty. |
| 0237:23 | ROCC | Okay. We have, no, we have confirmed, we have no military aircraft working up there. |
| 0237:25 | D15 | Okay thank you very much. |
| 0237:29 | D15 | You have no traffic at all? |
| 0237:30 | ROCC | That's correct, does he (JAL-1628) still have somebody visual? |
| 0237:32 | D15 | He says he does. |
FEKS = Fairbanks Airport FAA Approach Control (Tower)
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| 0237:55 | R15 | Japan Air sixteen twenty eight heavy. Sir, does your traffic appear to be staying with you? |
| 0238:00 | JL1628 | (unintelligible) just looking. |
| 0239:01 | R15 | Japan Air sixteen twenty eight. Say again? |
| 0239:04 | JL1628 | It ah-disappeared. Japan Air sixteen twenty eight. |
| 0239:58 | ROCC | Ya, this is one dash two again. On some other equipment here we have confirmed there is a flight size of two around your one five five zero. Squawk one primary return only. |
| 0240:05 | D15 | Okay, where is is he following him? |
| 0240:07 | ROCC | It looks like he is, yes. |
| 0240:10 | R15 | Japan Air sixteen twenty eight heavy; Roger. At your discretion proceed direct Talkeetna, Jay one two five Anchorage. (J125 = air route) |
| 0240:23 | R15 | Japan Air sixteen twenty eight; Roger. Sir, the military radar advises they do have a primary target in trail of you at this time. |
| 0240:24 | D15 | Okay do you have anybody you can scramble up there? |
| 0240:30 | ROCC | I'll tell you what, we're gonna talk to your liasion sir about that. |
| 0240:35 | R15 | Japan Air sixteen twenty eight heavy. Military radar advises they are picking up intermittent primary target behind you in-trail, in-trail I say again. |
| 0240:51 | ROCC | Ah-I'm gonna talk to my other radar man here - has gotta, he's got some other equipment watching this aircraft. |
| 0240:54 | D15 | Okay. |
| 0240:13 | R15 | Roger sir. Would you (JAL 1628) like our military to scramble on the traffic? |
| 0240:17 | JL1628 | Negative, negative. |
| 0242:04 | JL1628 | Anchorage Center. Japan Air sixteen twenty eight. Confirm direct to Talkeetna, three one zero. |
| 0242:09 | R15 | Japan Air sixteen twenty eight heavy; affirmative. Direct Talkeetna and descend at pilot's discretion, maintain flight level two five zero. |
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| 0242:24 | ROCC | It looks like he, he-ah-offset left, and then possibly fell back in-trail. However, I can't see him now, I can't pick him out. |
| 0242:29 | D15 | Okay thank you very much S-R. |
| 0244:13 | R15 | Japan Air sixteen twenty eight heavy. Do you still have the traffic? |
| 0244:17 | JL1628 | Ah-affirmative. Ah-nine o'clock, ah, ah. |
| 0244:39 | R15 | United sixty nine, Anchorage request. |
| 0244:41 | UA69 | Ah, go ahead, United sixty nine heavy. |
| 0244:43 | R15 | United sixty nine heavy. Sir, I've got a Japan Air seven forty seven presently in your eleven o'clock position and one hundred and one, correction, one, one, zero miles, and he has traffic (unintelligible) I'll keep you advised, ah-when you're closer to him I want you to see if you see anything with him. |
| 0245:04 | UA69 | Okay fine, ah-we'll look for ya. |
| 0245:49 | R15 | United sixty nine heavy. In your eleven o'clock position, one, zero, zero miles, southbound, is a Japan Air, seven forty seven. He is at flight level three one zero. Says he has traffic at his nine o'clock position same altitude. |
| 0246:06 | UA69 | We'll be looking, that's ah-ah, can't see anything yet. |
| 0246:59 | R15 | Japan Air sixteen twenty eight; roger. I'm gonna have a United aircraft get close to you and take a look, ah-to see if he can identify your traffic. |
| 0247:06 | JL1628 | Thank you. |
| 0247:09 | R15 | United sixty nine heavy, turn ten degrees left, radar vectors, ah-to see traffic. |
| 0248:31 | R15 | Japan Air sixteen twenty eight heavy. Say the position of your traffic. |
| 0248:34 | JL1628 | Ah-now, ah-ah-moving to ah-around ten mile, now-ah-ah-position-ah-seven, ah-eight o'clock, ten mile. |
| 0248:52 | R15 | Japan Air sixteen seventy eight heavy; roger. |
UA69 = United Airlines flight #69
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page 6 - flight 1628
| 0249:52 | R15 | United sixty nine heavy; roger. The Japan Air says the traffic is in his seven to eight o'clock position and one zero miles in-trail. |
| 0250:00 | UA69 | Okay, we're looking. |
| 0250:05 | UA69 | Why don't you get us a little closer? |
| 0250:07 | R15 | United sixty nine heavy; roger. Another additional ten degrees left. |
| 0250:14 | UA69 | Roger, United sixty nine. |
| 0250:46 | R15 | United sixty nine, that's what he says. Japan Air sixteen twenty eight heavy, say the position of your traffic now. |
| 0250:52 | JL1628 | Ah-now distinguishing but, ah-ah-your I guess, ah-twelve o'clock below-ah-you, over. |
| 0251:32 | UA69 | Ah, Center from United ah sixty nine. Ah-the-ah-Japan Airliner is silhouetted against a-ah-light sky. I don't see anybody around him at all. I can see his contrail but I sure don't see any other airplanes. Do you see him? |
| 0251:49 | R15 | United sixty nine heavy, ah-negative sir. We got just a very few primary hits on the ah-target and then ah-we really haven't got a good track on him ever. |
| 0252:31 | TOTEM | If you want we've got extra gas we could bop up another five or six thousand feet and turn around. |
| 0252:36 | R15 | Totem (military C130 flight) seven one, ah roger sir. If you'd like ah-standby, ---- Totem seven one, turn ah-right, heading two five, correction turn right, heading two seven zero, radar vectors to intercept. |
| 0253:10 | R15 | Japan Air sixteen twenty eight heavy, descend at pilot discretion, maintain flight level two five zero. |
| 0253:13 | JL1628 | Japan Air sixteen twenty eight, ah-pilot's discretion, maintain ah-two five zero, so-ah-ah-I cannot, I couldn't see ah-U-F-O, over. |
| 0253:27 | R15 | Japan Air sixteen twenty eight heavy. Understand you do not see the traffic any longer. |
| 0253:31 | JL1628 | Affirmative. |
| 0254:04 | TOTEM | Okay sir, we're searching this time, we think we have him. |
TOTEM = Military C130 aircraft
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| 0254:09 | R15 | Japan Air sixteen twenty eight heavy, flash your landing lights please. |
| 0255:25 | TOTEM | Ah, yes sir, we've got him insight. |
| 0255:35 | R15 | Totem seven one, do you see any traffic in his vicinity? |
| 0255:38 | TOTEM | Not flashing any lights at this time sir. |
| 0323: | JL1628 landed at Anchorage International Airport (approximate) |
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| UTC | Universal Time Coordinated. (Used to be Greenwich Time, Zulu) |
| NORAD | North American Defense Air Command |
| SDO-63 | FAA Flight Standards District Office, Anchorage/S.C. Area |
| POTAT | Intersection location name on airway map. (Northwest of Fort Yukon. |
| J529 | Airway route |
| INS | Internal Navigation System |
| ARTCC | (Anchorage) Air Route Traffic Control Center (Enroute traffic) |
| PVD | Plan View Display (Radar Screen) |
| ROCC | Regional Operations Command Center (Military, AF) |
| 350 | 35,000 feet elevation |