The (Un) Qualified Observer?

It was one of those days when the activity off the west coast of Alaska was heavier than usual. Flights to and from Saint Lawrence Island, Coast Guard activity looking for icebergs, Weather Service flights and above normal Soviet traffic off the coast of Asia. By noon several Soviet flights were approaching the ADIZ. They were flying at medium altitude so there was no problem tracking them. Over the Alaskan land mass the traffic was about the same as any other day, heavy. It seems that the big sport in alaska is flying. It seems as though everyone owns  an aircraft.

A little after three o'clock a Soviet aircraft was tracking in a northerly direction just west of the ADIZ. He flew parallel th the ADIZ from about Cape Romanzof to just west of Nome. At that point he reversed course. This race track continued for several hours. Because he was outside the ADIZ, his classification remained pending.

On the last north leg he was very close to if not on the ADIZ. The ANR Commander called on the battle loop and asked if he was across the line (ADIZ). I asked him, "How wide is the line, sir?" His reply was to make the track unknown. We immediately reclassified the track and scrambled two F-4s from Galena.

It was a long way to run a tail chase even though the target was only flying with a ground speed of about 220 knots. To make matters worse on this leg he continued north of Nome toward Cape Lizburne. The last paint we received on the track from Liz placed the unknown about 30 miles south of Liz. The dead reckon position ran the unknown over Liz. The F-4s were still about 90 miles in trail. I requested that we change the tactical action to AD (action deferred) and bump heads until the target was re-established or the 4s went bingo. This was denied by the  ANR commander so we pressed on.

By the time the fighters were about fifty miles from Liz, an IP appeared directly over Liz. ANR was sure it was the unknown. Amid the noise and confusion of trying to find the unknown, Liz called surveillance to request scheduled maintenance. When advised of the situation, the operator on duty stated that the IP was a C-130 from Elmendorf that had dropped off supplies and mail. He had just slammed the door of the aircraft fifteen minutes ago.

This information was reported to ANR and another AD requested. There reply was that he was not a qualified observer and therefore the identification was invalid. We got to intercept and escort a C-130 belonging to the Alaskan Command from Liz to Elmendorf.

We never found the Soviet aircraft. It, more than likely, turned west and descendedafter passing over the Cape. The joke of the whole thing was the fact that the guy that shut the door of the aircraft we intercepted became an unqualified observer. We had radio and radar contact with both the C-130 and the F-4s through the entire intercept.