Tokyo Airport Tower Sighting 1986

On September 7, 1986, Tokyo International Airport air traffic control tower operators detected an unidentified object tracking an incoming Japan Air Lines Boeing 747 on final approach at 3,500 feet altitude. Japan Air Self-Defense Force radar at Iruma Air Base simultaneously confirmed the contact. Two other airline crews in the Tokyo Terminal Control Area also reported the object. The object maintained a precise formation position relative to the JAL 747 for 12 minutes before accelerating away as the airliner turned onto final approach. Japan's Civil Aviation Bureau conducted a formal investigation, interviewing the ATC personnel and airline crews. No conclusion was reached regarding the object's identity. The incident occurred on the same day as a similar report at Narita International Airport, suggesting the objects were conducting systematic examination of Japan's major air gateway terminals. The JASDF investigation produced a classified assessment that was not shared with civil aviation authorities.