FAA record of interview with JAL First Officer Takanori Tamefuji (JAL 1628)

The FAA's transcript of its interview, on 5 January 1987, with Takanori Tamefuji, the first officer of Japan Air Lines flight 1628, who was flying the Boeing 747 when the crew first saw the lights over Alaska on 17 November 1986. It was conducted in English by Inspector Peter E. Beckner of the FAA's Alaskan Region, with an FAA interpreter helping where needed.

Tamefuji saw the first lights for about five to ten minutes, before the object moved to the captain's side, and describes them as many coloured lights in close formation that he first took for oncoming aircraft; he did not see the large object the captain drew. It is part of the FAA's investigation file, now in the National Archives (record 733667) and released by The Black Vault.

Sources: FAA record of interview (1987), NARA 733667 via The Black Vault