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Papua New Guinea Inquiry Re Overflights
Cable reporting PNG's National Intelligence Organization inquired about sightings of high-altitude, high-speed aircraft over PNG. An Air Niugini pilot's radar detected aircraft flying at high altitude and high speed over Angoram; contrails and fast-moving objects with lights were reported.
Analysis
On the night of January 24, 1985, something fast flew over Papua New Guinea and frightened enough people that the Prime Minister attended a public meeting about it. An Air Niugini pilot picked up the objects on radar -- high altitude, high speed, flying south to north near Angoram. Visual observers at separate locations saw contrails from one aircraft at 1900 local time and six to eight more traveling south to north at 2200. Papua New Guinea's National Intelligence Organization asked the U.S. Embassy what was going on. The 43rd Strategic Wing confirmed no B-52s were in the area. No U.S. aircraft were in PNG airspace that night. The NIO placed "some credence" in the pilot's radar report, and nobody provided an explanation.
Key Findings
- Multiple reports of unidentified fast-moving objects with lights, contrails, and noise on the night of January 24, 1985
- An Air Niugini pilot reported radar contact with aircraft flying south to north at high altitude and high speed near Angoram (4 deg S, 144 deg E)
- Visual sightings of contrails from various points around PNG: one aircraft moving north to south at 1900 local, six to eight aircraft traveling south to north at 2200 local
- The 43rd Strategic Wing confirmed no B-52 overflights; no US aircraft were in PNG airspace
- NIO placed "some credence" in the Air Niugini pilot's radar report
- The matter became politically significant enough for the Prime Minister to attend a public meeting
Page Extractions 3 pages
Page 1
View PDF ↗statushas_content
doc_typecable
classificationUNCLASSIFIED (Released in Full)
page_descriptionState Department cable from US Embassy Port Moresby regarding Papua New Guinea inquiry about reported high-altitude aircraft overflights in January 1985.
dates
- 1985-01-24 | date of reported sightings/overflights
- 1985-01-28 | date of embassy inquiry and cable transmission
- 2026-03-02 | release date/declassification date
- 2026-02-25 | signature date
people
- John Powers | Acting-Director | US Department of State | release authority
- [PNG NIO officer in Wewak - name not given] | National Intelligence Organization | PNG | reporting local residents' concerns
- Provincial Premier | government official | Papua New Guinea | called public meeting
- Prime Minister | government official | Papua New Guinea | attended public meeting
organizations
- US Embassy Port Moresby | government_agency
- PNG National Intelligence Organization (NIO) | foreign intelligence agency
- USCINCPAC (US Commander-in-Chief Pacific) | military_unit
- 43SW (43rd Strategic Wing) | military_unit
- US Department of State | government_agency
- AMEMBASSY CANBERRA | government_agency
- AMEMBASSY JAKARTA | government_agency
locations
- Papua New Guinea (PNG) | country
- Port Moresby | capital city
- Wewak | city where NIO officer reported
- Electoral District | Prime Minister's weekend location
observations
- Reported sightings of high-altitude, high-speed aircraft over PNG during evening January 24
- Local residents frightened by overflights
- Event led to provincial premier calling public meeting
- Prime Minister attended public meeting while weekending in his electoral district
references
- CSP-2025-00040 | cable identifier
- B-00002707027 | document identifier
- MRN: 85 PORT MORESBY 199 | message reference number
- E.O. 12356: N/A | Executive Order reference
- TAGS: MARR, PP | cable subject tags
quotes
- "PAPUA NEW GUINEA INQUIRY RE OVERFLIGHTS" | cable subject
- "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." | cable text
- "MATTER CAME TO NIO'S ATTENTION WHEN ITS OFFICER IN WEWAK REPORTED LOCAL RESIDENTS HAD BEEN FRIGHTENED BY OVERFLIGHTS, WHICH LED TO THE PROVINCIAL PREMIER'S CALLING OF A PUBLIC MEETING ON THE SUBJECT ATTENDED BY THE PRIME MINISTER WHO WAS WEEKENDING IN HIS ELECTORAL DISTRICT." | cable text
Page 2
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doc_typecable
classificationUNCLASSIFIED
page_descriptionPage 2 of State Department cable detailing specific UAP observations from January 24 and US military confirmation of non-involvement.
dates
- 1985-01-24 | night of reported observations
- 1900 local time | time of one aircraft sighting
- 2200 local time | time of six-eight aircraft sighting
people
- Gardner | sender of cable | US State Department | cable author
- [Air Niugini pilot name not given] | pilot | Air Niugini | witness/radar observer
organizations
- PNG National Intelligence Organization (NIO) | foreign intelligence agency
- Air Niugini | commercial airline
- 43SW (43rd Strategic Wing) | military_unit (contacted for confirmation)
- US State Department | government_agency
locations
- Angoram | coordinates 4 deg S, 144 deg E | radar sighting location
- Wewak | departure point of Air Niugini pilot
- Port Moresby | destination of Air Niugini flight
- Papua New Guinea (PNG) | general area of sightings
- Various points around PNG | locations of visual sightings
observations
- Various reports of unidentified aerial phenomena on night of January 24
- Fast-moving objects with lights
- Contrails reported
- Noise reported
- Air Niugini pilot radar contact: aircraft flying south to north at high altitude and high speed when over Angoram
- Several visual sightings of contrails from various points around PNG
- One aircraft moving north to south at 1900 local time
- Six to eight aircraft traveling south to north at 2200 local time
assessments
- NIO places some credence in Air Niugini pilot report | NIO assessment
- Information provided on sightings is very sketchy | US embassy assessment
- Sources were unsure of directions in which aircraft were flying | US embassy assessment
quotes
- "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." | cable text
- "THE REPORT IN WHICH NIO PLACES SOME CREDENCE ORIGINATED WITH AN AIR NIUGINI PILOT WHO HAD JUST TAKEN OFF FROM WEWAK ENROUTE PORT MORESBY." | cable text
- "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)." | cable text
- "SEVERAL VISUAL SIGHTINGS OF CONTRAILS WERE ALSO REPORTED FROM VARIOUS POINTS AROUND PNG, OF ONE AIRCRAFT MOVING NORTH TO SOUTH AT 1900 LOCAL AND OF SIX-EIGHT AIRCRAFT TRAVELING SOUTH TO NORTH AT 2200 LOCAL." | cable text
- "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." | cable text
- "ALTHOUGH INFORMATION PROVIDED US ON THESE SIGHTINGS IS VERY SKETCHY AND SOURCES WERE UNSURE OF THE DIRECTIONS IN WHICH AIRCRAFT WERE FLYING, WE WOULD MOST APPRECIATE CONFIRMATION OF PARA 3 ABOVE AND ANY LIGHT YOU MIGHT THROW ON THESE REPORTS." | cable text
Page 3
View PDF ↗statushas_content
doc_typecable
classificationUNCLASSIFIED
page_descriptionFinal page of State Department cable showing dissemination rule and archive copy marking.
references
- CSP-2025-00040 | document identifier
- B-00002707027 | document identifier
- Archive Copy | dissemination rule
quotes
- "Dissemination Rule: Archive Copy" | distribution marking
- "UNCLASSIFIED" | classification marking