1998-04-06 - Edwards AFB, CA

Mr. Davenport,
As we discussed today, here is the report that I have written for my Company.

If there is additional information you need, Please contact me via email at ((e-address deleted)).

In your investigation of this incident, it would be good if you would keep my company name out of any public correspondence. They are very sensitive about this sort of thing. (old school, you know)
If for some reason this is unreadable, let me know and I will send it via snail mail.

Thank you,

((pilot's name deleted))


((PILOT'S REPORT APPEARS BELOW))

EVENT REPORT

Crewmembers: Capt. ((name and pilot # deleted))
F/O ((name of first officer deleted))

Date/Time: April 07, 1998 0445-0500UTC

Principals involved: ((company designator deleted)) Flight ((flight # deleted))

Joshua Approach, Freq. 127.5 Mhz

Raider 77 (a military aircraft)

Aircraft: Boeing ((type a/c and serial # deleted))
Altitude: flight level 330

Aircraft Speed: .770 -.760 Mach, ground speed 490 kts

Location: J110 between MITEL and FURNY intersections

Flight Conditions: Night VMC with 50 miles visibility. Some cumulus clouds at lower altitudes. Snow on the Sierra mountains was illuminated by the ambient light.

At approximately 0445Z Joshua Approach requested Raider 77 to turn to a heading of 150 degrees to investigate unidentified aircraft maneuvering close to airway J110.

Since Raider 77 was transmitting on UHF, we could only hear radio transmissions from Joshua.

We perceived from the Joshua transmissions that the unidentified traffic was following a ((Boeing-built a/c--type deleted)).

Shortly, we were given traffic advisories for two targets at our 3 o'clock position and 8 miles and
moving at a rate equal to three times our speed. The next report was at 2 o'clock and 8 miles.

At nearly the same time another target was reported at our 11 o'clock position and less than 2 miles. These reports were followed with the advisory, "traffic no factor".

We were then switched to Los Angeles Center. LA Center informed us that Joshua had told
them of the incident, and we had no observed traffic in our area.

At no time did we make visual contact with the reported traffic. Apparently, Raider 77 did not
see the traffic visually, but they did have them in radar contact. Joshua stated that the targets
were primary and did not return a transponder or IFF code.

Flight ((flight # deleted)) continued the flight to Las Vegas without further incident.

Note: If Raider 77 had the on-board technology to identify our aircraft by its radar signature,
why was he unable to identify the other targets?

The above is a true and correct account of the events that occurred on ((flight # deleted)) on the
evening of April 07, 1998.

______________________Date:__________

((pilot's name deleted))

______________________Date:___________

((co-pilot's name deleted))