State Department UAP Cable 001, Papua New Guinea, January 28, 1985
This is a 3-page LIMITED OFFICIAL USE diplomatic cable dated January 28, 1985, from the U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, addressed to USCINCPAC in Honolulu (with info copies to Andersen AFB Guam, SecState Washington, and the embassies in Canberra and Jakarta). The cable states that on January 28 the embassy received an informal inquiry from the PNG National Intelligence Organization (NIO) concerning reported sightings of high-altitude, high-speed aircraft over PNG during the evening of January 24, 1985. The matter reached the NIO after its officer in Wewak reported that local residents had been frightened by overflights, prompting the provincial premier to call a public meeting attended by the Prime Minister. The NIO described various reports of unidentified aerial phenomena that night—fast-moving objects with lights, contrails, and noise—and gave credence to a report from an Air Niugini pilot who, after taking off from Wewak enroute to Port Moresby, said his radar picked up aircraft flying south to north at high altitude and speed while over Angoram (approx. 4 deg S, 144 deg E). Additional contrail sightings were reported: one aircraft moving north to south at 1900 local, and six to eight aircraft traveling south to north at 2200 local. Based on records and a phone call with the 43rd Strategic Wing, the embassy told the NIO it knew of no B-52 overflights and no U.S. aircraft in PNG airspace on January 24. Characterizing the information as 'very sketchy,' the embassy (signed GARDNER) sought confirmation from INDOPACOM and any further clarification. The document was released in full by John Powers, Acting Director, U.S. Department of State, and was made publicly available as part of a 2026 UAP records release.
Description
An unclassified U.S. Department of State diplomatic cable (MRN 85 PORT MORESBY 199) from the U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby to USCINCPAC Honolulu, reporting a host-nation intelligence inquiry into high-altitude, high-speed aircraft and unidentified aerial phenomena over Papua New Guinea on the night of January 24, 1985.
Claims
An Air Niugini pilot's radar picked up aircraft flying south to north at high altitude and high speed while over Angoram (approx. 4 deg S, 144 deg E).
75%The information provided on the sightings was 'very sketchy' and sources were unsure of the aircraft directions.
85%The U.S. Embassy told the NIO it knew of no B-52 overflights or U.S. aircraft in PNG airspace on January 24, based on its records and a call with the 43rd Strategic Wing.
75%The embassy knew of no B-52 overflights or U.S. aircraft in PNG airspace on January 24, 1985.
75%Local residents in Wewak were frightened by the overflights, prompting a public meeting.
70%Residents in Wewak were frightened by overflights on the night of January 24, 1985, prompting a public meeting called by the provincial premier and attended by the Prime Minister.
70%Multiple visual sightings of contrails were reported around PNG, including one aircraft moving north to south at 1900 local and six to eight aircraft traveling south to north at 2200 local on January 24, 1985.
60%Visual contrail sightings included one aircraft moving north to south at 1900 local and six-to-eight aircraft traveling south to north at 2200 local.
60%
Events
Jan 27, 1985
Cable transmitted
Embassy Port Moresby sent the inquiry cable to USCINCPAC seeking clarification on U.S. aircraft presence.
Jan 23, 1985
Papua New Guinea overflight sightings
Reports of high-altitude, high-speed aircraft and unidentified aerial phenomena—lights, contrails, noise—over PNG, including an Air Niugini pilot's radar contact near Angoram and contrail sightings at 1900 and 2200 local.
Provincial public meeting
After Wewak residents were frightened by overflights, the provincial premier called a public meeting attended by the Prime Minister.
Jan 23, 1985
Reported UAP overflights over Papua New Guinea
Various reports of unidentified aerial phenomena—fast-moving objects with lights, contrails, and noise—over PNG, including radar and visual sightings.
Jan 27, 1985
NIO inquiry to U.S. Embassy
PNG National Intelligence Organization made an informal inquiry to the U.S. Embassy about the overflights.
May 7, 2026
Public release
Document released in full by the U.S. Department of State.
Dates mentioned
Keywords
Entities
Organizations
Phenomena
Extracted text (OCR)
UNCLASSIFIED CSP-2025-00040 B-00002707027 "UNCLASSIFIED" 3/2/20 26 UNCLASSIFIED MRN: Date/DTG: From: Action: E.0 .: TAGS: Reference: Subject: 85 PORT MORESBY 199 Jan 28, 1985 / 280000Z Jan 85 AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY USCINCLANT ROUTINE Unknown MARR, PP n/a PAPUA NEW GUINEA INQUIRY RE OVERFLIGHTS LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 01 PORT M 00199 280704Z ACTION PM-11 INFO OCT-00 COPY-01 ADS-00 INR-10 SS-00 NSAE-00 EAP-00 /022 W ---------------026406 280708Z /12 0 280653Z JAN 85 FM AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY TO USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE INFO 43SW ANDERSON AFB GU IMMEDIATE SECSTATE WASHDC 1694 AMEMBASSY CANBERRA AMEMBASSYJAKARTA CIAE-00 DODE-00 LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PORT MORESBY 00199 USCINCPAC FOR J3 AND POLAD 43 SW FOR DONO STATE FOR EAP/PIA AND PM/RSA E.O. 12356: N/A TAGS: MARR, PP SUBJECT: PAPUA NEW GUINEA INQUIRY RE OVERFLIGHTS 1. 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. 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. Released in Full IJohn Powers, Acting-Director US Department of State ~/25/2026 UNCLASSIFIED Pagel of 3 UNCLASSIFIED CSP-2025-00040 B-00002707027 "UNCLASSIFIED" 3/2/2026 2. NIO SAID THERE HAVE BEEN VARIOUS REPORTS OF UNIDENTIFIED AERIAL PHENOMENA THE NIGHT OF JANUARY 24, INCLUDING FAST-MOVING OBJECTS WITH LIGHTS, CONTRAILS, LIMITED OFFICIAL USE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 02 PORT M 00199 2807042 AND NOISE. THE REPORT IN WHICH NIO PLACES SOME CREDENCE ORIGINATED WITH AN AIR NIUGINI PILOT WHO HAD JUST TAKEN OFF FROM WEWAK ENROUTE PORT MORESBY. PILOT SAID HIS RADAR PICKED UP AIRCRAFT FLYING SOUT H TO NORTH AT HIGH ALTITUDE AND HIGH SPEED WHEN HE WAS OVER ANGORAM (VIC 4 DEG S, 144 DEG E). 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. 3. 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. 4. 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. GARDNER LIMITED OFFICIAL USE NNN UNCLASSIFIED Page 2 of 3 UNCLASSIFIED CSP-2025-00040 Dissemination Rule: B-00002707027 "UNCLASSIFIED" 3/2/20 26 Archive Copy UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED Page 3 of 3
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