Papua New Guinea Inquiry Re Overflights

A 1985-01-28 Embassy record of an informal Papua New Guinea National Intelligence Organization inquiry into reported high-altitude, high-speed aircraft sightings over Papua New Guinea on 1985-01-24.

Pdf · Gardner (AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY) · 1985-01-28 · 3 pages

The source

The source itself cannot be shown here. The summary, explanation and supporting quotations below are Anomalica's public account of it.

1985-01-28

“Papua New Guinea Inquiry Re Overflights” is a record dated 1985-01-28 concerning an informal inquiry received by the Embassy Port Moresby USA in Papua New Guinea, National Capital District, Port Moresby. Gardner (AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY) said that the Papua New Guinea National Intelligence Organization (NIO) had asked about reported high-altitude, high-speed aircraft over Papua New Guinea during the evening of 1985-01-24.¹ Gardner said the inquiry followed reports received by an NIO officer in Papua New Guinea, East Sepik Province, Wewak, where local residents had reportedly been frightened by the overflights.² He said that this reaction led the provincial premier to call a public meeting,³ attended by Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister, who was spending the weekend in his electoral district.⁴

Gardner said the NIO had reported various Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) on the night of 1985-01-24, including fast-moving objects with lights, contrails, and noise.⁵ He added that the NIO placed some credence in a report from an Air Niugini pilot who had just departed Wewak for Port Moresby.⁶ According to the source record, the pilot’s radar detected aircraft travelling south to north at high altitude and high speed while he was over Papua New Guinea, East Sepik Province, Angoram.⁷ The record also reports visual contrail sightings from several locations, including one aircraft travelling north to south at 19:00 local time,⁸ and six to eight aircraft travelling south to north at 22:00 local time.⁹

The record also documents an attempt to compare the reports with information about known aircraft. Gardner said that, based on Embassy records and a telephone conversation with the 43rd Strategic Wing (43SW), the Embassy knew of no B-52 overflights and no US aircraft in Papua New Guinea airspace on 1985-01-24.¹⁰ He characterised the information supplied to the Embassy as very sketchy and said that sources were unsure of the directions in which the aircraft were flying.¹¹ Gardner subsequently requested confirmation of the finding and any further light on the reports.¹² The source therefore preserves both the reported observations and the uncertainty surrounding their interpretation, while recording the official inquiry and the check against military information.

References (12)

The Embassy received an informal inquiry from the Papua New Guinea National Intelligence Organization about reported high-altitude, high-speed aircraft sightings.
“EMBASSY JANUARY 28 RECEIVED INFORMAL INQUIRY FROM PNG NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE ORGANIZATION (NIO) CONCERNING REPORTED SIGHTINGS OF HIGH-ALTITUDE, HIGH-SPEED AIRCRAFT OVER PNG DURING EVENING JANUARY 24.”
Papua New Guinea Inquiry Re Overflights (1985-01-01) char:909-1104
An NIO officer in Wewak reported that local residents had been frightened by the overflights.
“MATTER CAME TO NIO'S ATTENTION WHEN ITS OFFICER IN WEWAK REPORTED LOCAL RESIDENTS HAD BEEN FRIGHTENED BY OVERFLIGHTS”
Papua New Guinea Inquiry Re Overflights (1985-01-28) char:1108-1213
The reaction led the provincial premier to call a public meeting.
“WHICH LED TO THE PROVINCIAL PREMIER'S CALLING OF A PUBLIC MEETING ON THE SUBJECT”
Papua New Guinea Inquiry Re Overflights (1985-01-28) char:1226-1299
The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea attended the public meeting.
“ATTENDED BY THE PRIME MINISTER WHO WAS WEEKENDING IN HIS ELECTORAL DISTRICT”
Papua New Guinea Inquiry Re Overflights (1985-01-28) char:1307-1374
The NIO reported UAP reports involving fast-moving objects with lights, contrails, and noise.
“NIO SAID THERE HAVE BEEN VARIOUS REPORTS OF UNIDENTIFIED AERIAL PHENOMENA THE NIGHT OF JANUARY 24, INCLUDING FAST-MOVING OBJECTS WITH LIGHTS, CONTRAILS, AND NOISE.”
Papua New Guinea Inquiry Re Overflights (1985-01-28) char:1491-1633
The NIO gave some credence to a report from an Air Niugini pilot who had taken off from Wewak.
“THE REPORT IN WHICH NIO PLACES SOME CREDENCE ORIGINATED WITH AN AIR NIUGINI PILOT WHO HAD JUST TAKEN OFF FROM WEWAK ENROUTE PORT MORESBY.”
Papua New Guinea Inquiry Re Overflights (1985-01-28) char:1730-1859
An Air Niugini pilot reported radar contacts travelling south to north at high altitude and high speed over Angoram.
“PILOT SAID HIS RADAR PICKED UP AIRCRAFT FLYING SOUTH TO NORTH AT HIGH ALTITUDE AND HIGH SPEED WHEN HE WAS OVER ANGORAM (VIC 4 DEG S, 144 DEG E).”
Papua New Guinea Inquiry Re Overflights (1985-01-28) char:1868-2009
Visual contrail sightings included an aircraft travelling north to south at 19:00 local time.
“SEVERAL VISUAL SIGHTINGS OF CONTRAILS WERE ALSO REPORTED FROM VARIOUS POINTS AROUND PNG, OF ONE AIRCRAFT MOVING NORTH TO SOUTH AT 1900 LOCAL”
Papua New Guinea Inquiry Re Overflights (1985-01-28) char:2013-2148
Further visual reports described six to eight aircraft travelling south to north at 22:00 local time.
“AND OF SIX-EIGHT AIRCRAFT TRAVELING SOUTH TO NORTH AT 2200 LOCAL.”
Papua New Guinea Inquiry Re Overflights (1985-01-28) char:2154-2213
The Embassy told the NIO that it knew of no B-52 overflights or US aircraft in Papua New Guinea airspace.
“BASED ON OUR RECORDS AND TELCON WITH 43SW, WE HAVE TOLD NIO WE KNEW OF NO B-52 OVERFLIGHTS AND NO U.S. AIRCRAFT IN PNG AIRSPACE ON JANUARY 24.”
Papua New Guinea Inquiry Re Overflights (1985-01-28) char:2224-2363
Gardner described the information as sketchy and said sources were unsure of the aircraft directions.
“ALTHOUGH INFORMATION PROVIDED US ON THESE SIGHTINGS IS VERY SKETCHY AND SOURCES WERE UNSURE OF THE DIRECTIONS IN WHICH AIRCRAFT WERE FLYING”
Papua New Guinea Inquiry Re Overflights (1985-01-28) char:2371-2504
Gardner requested confirmation of the absence of B-52 overflights or US aircraft and further information about the reports.
“WE WOULD MOST APPRECIATE CONFIRMATION OF PARA 3 ABOVE AND ANY LIGHT YOU MIGHT THROW ON THESE REPORTS.”
Papua New Guinea Inquiry Re Overflights (1985-01-28) char:2512-2605

Papua New Guinea Inquiry Re Overflights

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