Mystery cloud still unsolved

Press, 1 June 1984, Page 16

Mystery cloud still unsolved

From

PETER DURISCH

in London

A mysterious cloud which quadrupled in size in 30 seconds caused an airline captain to issue a Mayday call and make an emergency deviation over the Pacific Ocean. The strange phenomenon occurred on April 9 and so far has defied any rational explanation by American scientists. It resembled the top half of a ball and rose to 60,000 feet, causing considerable alarm to the crew. The aircraft was a Japan Airlines Boeing 747 flying from Tokyo to Alaska. About 220 miles east of the main Japanese island of Honshu, the captain, a former United States Air Force 852 pilot, observed the strange sight and was given permission to make an emergency deviation to avoid it. Four other aircraft in the area

confirmed the sighting. The United States Federal Aviation Administration had warned of possible radiation in the area — such notices are usually issued when underground nuclear tests are thought likely. But American military surveillance of the area reported no nuclear or seismic activity in the area at the time, according to an article in the current issue of “Jane’s Defence Weekly.” Weather satellites did not detect the cloud. When the five aircraft reached Alaska they were washed down and the washings tested for radioactivity. None was found. The United States Aeronautics and Space Administration has been doing computer calculations on the cloud but the phenomenon still remains a mystery. — Copyright, London Observer Service.