{"id":8469,"date":"2025-08-25T17:12:56","date_gmt":"2025-08-25T17:12:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/?p=8469"},"modified":"2025-08-25T19:10:56","modified_gmt":"2025-08-25T19:10:56","slug":"the-vault-files-1986-alaska-jal-flight-1628","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/the-vault-files-1986-alaska-jal-flight-1628\/","title":{"rendered":"The Vault Files: 1986 Alaska JAL Flight 1628"},"content":{"rendered":"<nav id=\"table-of-contents\" class=\"toc\">\n<nav id=\"table-of-contents\" class=\"toc\">\n<nav id=\"table-of-contents\" class=\"toc\">\n<nav id=\"table-of-contents\" class=\"toc\"><em>Note: The re-creation imagery used in this article to represent details of the case are visual interpretations created from Captain Terauchi\u2019s sketches, crew testimony, and FAA documentation. While every effort was made to keep them as accurate and faithful as possible, certain details of the encounter \u2013 such as the precise appearance and scale of the objects \u2013 remain based on varying accounts. These visuals are intended to illustrate the incident, not to serve as exact photographic records. Imagery of government documents are legitimate and verified, and are not reproductions or mockups.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Table of Contents<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#executive-summary\">Executive Summary<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#background\">Background<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#foia\">FOIA History and Rediscovery of the Records<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#timeline-of-events\">Timeline of Events<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#primary-documentation\">Primary Documentation<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#witness-accounts\">Witness Accounts<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#media-and-public-coverage\">Media and Public Coverage<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#official-government-response\">Official Government Response<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#skeptical-and-debunking-arguments\">Skeptical and Debunking Arguments<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#unresolved-questions\">Unresolved Questions<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#impact-and-legacy\">Impact and Legacy<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#conclusion\">Conclusion<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#source-list\">Source List<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Executive Summary<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8473\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8473\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_05-13-08.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-8473 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_05-13-08-300x277.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"277\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_05-13-08-300x277.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_05-13-08-150x138.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_05-13-08.jpg 424w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8473\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Captain Kenju Terauchi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Japan Air Lines (JAL) Flight 1628 \u2013 a Boeing 747 cargo freighter \u2013 was involved in one of the most noteworthy UFO encounters on record. On the evening of November 17, 1986, while flying over remote Alaska, the crew observed multiple unidentified objects with bright flashing lights maneuvering around their aircraft. The encounter lasted nearly 50 minutes and was tracked intermittently on both the plane\u2019s onboard radar and by FAA air traffic control on the ground<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nicap.org\/861117alaska_dir.htm#:~:text=departed%20before%20a%20third%2C%20much,were%20presented%20on%20the%20History\"><em>[1]<\/em><\/a>. At one point the veteran captain, Kenju Terauchi, reported a huge unknown craft \u201ctwice the size of an aircraft carrier\u201d pacing his 747<a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-1987-01-01-mn-1922-story.html#:~:text=Glimpses%20in%20Silhouette\"><em>[2]<\/em><\/a>. Anchorage air traffic controllers scrambled to make sense of the situation, even enlisting a U.S. Air Force radar station and another commercial flight to help. Despite extensive official documentation \u2013 including FAA radar data analysis, recorded communications, and detailed crew interviews \u2013 no conventional explanation for the objects was confirmed. The incident became international news in early 1987 after the FAA initially acknowledged the encounter. In the years since, it has been scrutinized by investigators and skeptics alike. FAA records, pilot testimonies, and radar evidence make the JAL 1628 case <strong>uniquely well-documented<\/strong>, though its true nature remains unresolved. <strong>This Vault File assembles the primary evidence and analyses<\/strong>, presenting a factual account of the encounter and examining the official response, media coverage, skeptical explanations, and the enduring questions surrounding this famous UFO incident.<\/p>\n<h2>Background<\/h2>\n<p>JAL Flight 1628 was a scheduled cargo flight operated by Japan Air Lines, flying a Boeing 747-200F freighter from Paris to Tokyo with a stopover in Anchorage, Alaska. On November 17, 1986, the aircraft was en route from Reykjav\u00edk, Iceland to Anchorage, cruising at an altitude of 35,000 feet (Flight Level 350) over the interior of Alaska in the late afternoon local time<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-025.pdf#:~:text=Administrator%20NOV,%28Subsequent%20regeneration%20of\"><em>[3]<\/em><\/a>. The three crew members on board were Captain Kenju Terauchi (age 47, an ex-fighter pilot with 29 years of flying experience<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newindianexpress.com\/opinions\/2016\/Nov\/09\/pilots-were-not-encouraged-to-discuss-ufos-with-media-1536454.html#:~:text=According%20to%20Captain%20Terauchi%20and,and%20the%20objects%20continued%20to\"><em>[4]<\/em><\/a>), First Officer Takanori Tamefuji, and Flight Engineer Yoshio Tsukuba. The cargo jet was carrying a load of French wine (Beaujolais) bound for Tokyo. The flight was passing through crisp, darkening skies \u2013 with a red-orange glow from the setting sun on one horizon and a full moon rising on the other<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nicap.org\/861117alaska_dir.htm#:~:text=Nov,When%20closest%2C%20the%20aircraft%27s%20cabin\"><em>[5]<\/em><\/a> \u2013 when the crew\u2019s attention was drawn to some unusual lights in their vicinity.<\/p>\n<p>At approximately 5:15\u20135:19 PM Alaska Standard Time, northeast of Fairbanks near Fort Yukon, Captain Terauchi first noticed <strong>odd lights<\/strong> to his left (port side). There were no other known aircraft in that remote sector, and Flight 1628 was in controlled airspace under the monitoring of FAA Anchorage Center. Moments later, what began as distant lights would escalate into a close encounter that the crew struggled to comprehend.<\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"165\" data-end=\"211\">FOIA History and Rediscovery of the Records<\/h2>\n<p>For years, the FAA maintained that the records of the JAL Flight 1628 incident had been destroyed.<\/p>\n<p>In May 2001, The Black Vault filed a FOIA request with the FAA for UFO-related records in Alaska between 1981 and 1988, specifically including JAL 1628. The FAA responded that approximately 107 pages existed but classified the requester as \u201ccommercial,\u201d which meant significant fees would be charged for search, review, and duplication. This was an erroneous classification, as The Black Vault has always been a &#8220;non-commercial&#8221; requester, and actually fits in as a &#8220;media&#8221; status, which nearly every agency has accepted in the past. During a June 5, 2001, phone call, FAA employee Jean Mahoney stated that the records could be released free of charge if the request was withdrawn from FOIA.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-25_04-15-55.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-8486\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-25_04-15-55.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"738\" height=\"787\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-25_04-15-55.jpg 738w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-25_04-15-55-281x300.jpg 281w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-25_04-15-55-150x160.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-25_04-15-55-450x480.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 738px) 100vw, 738px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>However, a follow-up letter dated June 27, 2001, declared that the withdrawal had not been received, the request was considered canceled, and that \u201call documents pertaining to this UFO sighting will be destroyed in 30 days from the date of this letter.\u201d By the time that letter was reviewed by The Black Vault, the 30-day deadline had already expired. Although a letter was sent withdrawing the request, as requested, it was never received, at least, according to the FAA.<\/p>\n<p>A new FOIA request also filed in 2009 by The Black Vault produced the same result: the FAA again stated that the records had been destroyed.<\/p>\n<p>Yet, seventeen years after the initial request, The Black Vault located the records in the National Archives.\u00a0 They were preserved in Record Group 237 (Records of the Federal Aviation Administration), under local identifier 1203 and archival identifier 733667. And, instead of 107 pages, the file contained more than 1,500 pages of material, including radar data, transcripts, photographs, interviews, and internal FAA communications.<\/p>\n<p>It remains unclear whether the FAA mistakenly believed the files had been destroyed or whether the transfer to the Archives was poorly documented. What is certain is that the records survived, and their rediscovery provided the public with a far more complete case file than was previously available. Today, the JAL 1628 incident is one of the most extensively documented UFO encounters in FAA history, largely because of this recovery.<\/p>\n<h4>FOIA Document Archive Listing<\/h4>\n<p>The following records were scanned at a very high resolution size for clarity.<\/p>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\">(Download the entire set below as a .zip file:\u00a0<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/zip.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents2.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628.zip\">jal1628.zip<\/a> [656.7MB])<\/h5>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-001.pdf\">Statement of course for records (NTIS) and Content of Package<\/a> [8 Pages, 5.8MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-002.pdf\">FAA Form 8020-5, Aircraft Incident Record, Brief Summary Statement<\/a>\u00a0[3 Pages, 3MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-003.pdf\">Klass and Haines inquires and responses<\/a> [40 Pages, 35.4MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-004.pdf\">FAA Form 3112, Inspection and Surveillance Record, Inspector Jack Wright<\/a>\u00a0[5 Pages, 4.2MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-005.pdf\">FAA form 1600-32-1 Notes of interviews with 3 crew members by Ron Mickle and James Derry<\/a> [5 Pages, 6.13MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-006.pdf\">Written Statement by Capt. Terauchi [In Japanese]<\/a>\u00a0[18 Pages, 17.2MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-007.pdf\">Written Statement by Capt. Terauchi [English translation by Sakoyo Mimoto]<\/a>\u00a0[13 Pages, 11MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-008.pdf\">Transcript: Interview with Capt. Terauchi by Dick Gordon, 1\/2\/87<\/a>\u00a0[19 Pages, 11MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-009.pdf\">Transcript of interview with First Officer Tamefugi by Peter Beckner 1\/5\/87<\/a>\u00a0[23 Pages, 14.7MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-010.pdf\">Transcript of interview with Flight Engineer Tsukuba by Pete Beckner 1\/15\/87<\/a>\u00a0[6 Pages, 4.1MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-011.pdf\">Modified Package for FAA Managers<\/a>\u00a0[121 Pages, 94.5MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf\">Chronology of Events<\/a>\u00a0[4 Pages, 2.9MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-013.pdf\">Flight Path Chart<\/a> [17 Pages, 17MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-014.pdf\">Selected portions of voice transcripts of JAL 1628 and controllers<\/a> [9 Pages, 7.1MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-015.pdf\">Transcript of Communications between air traffic control and JAL 1628<\/a>\u00a0[24 Pages, 13.6MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-016.pdf\">FAA form 7230-4 Daily record of Facility Operations, Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center<\/a>\u00a0[3 Pages, 5.5MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-017.pdf\">FAA form 7230-10 Position logs<\/a>\u00a0[2 Pages, 2.3MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-018.pdf\">Personnel Statement (Air Traffic Control Specialists)<\/a> [16 Pages, 11.9MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-019.pdf\">Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center computer printout of continuous data recordings (RADAR tracking)<\/a>\u00a0[178 Pages, 7.21MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-020.pdf\">Color photos of simulated radar data<\/a>\u00a0[18 Pages, 25.8MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-021.pdf\">Color photos of simulated radar data with captions<\/a> [5 Pages, 5.25MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-022.pdf\">Black and white photos of simulated radar data<\/a> [13 Pages, 7.1MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-023.pdf\">Explanation of split beacon target<\/a> [4 Pages, 3.7MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-024.pdf\">News releases, FAA public affairs<\/a> [9 Pages, 7.8MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-025.pdf\">Record of Communication with FAA administrator, and with U.S. Air Force<\/a> [6 Pages, 4.5MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/jal1628-cassettes.pdf\">Cassette tapes of interviews (Audio not digitized)<\/a> [4 Pages, 4.76MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-029.pdf\">ATC transcripts; flight path chart; personnel statements<\/a>\u00a0[13 Pages, 14.3MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-030.pdf\">ATC Transcript; interview with crew; personnel statement; news release<\/a> [8 Pages, 6.3MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-031.pdf\">News media contacts to FAA<\/a> [43 Pages, 46.3MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-02-001.pdf\">News clippings<\/a> [50 Pages, 4.61MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-002-002.pdf\">Miscellaneous<\/a> [17 Pages, 15.8MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-002-003.pdf\">Letters about UFO (folder 1)<\/a> [88 Pages, 38.3MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-002-004.pdf\">Letters about UFO (folder 2)<\/a> [59 Pages, 27MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-002-005.pdf\">Letters about UFO (folder 3)<\/a> [81 Pages, 31.1MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-002-006.pdf\">Letters about UFO (folder 4)<\/a> [136 Pages, 81.6MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-002-007.pdf\">Letters about UFO (folder 5)<\/a> [86 Pages, 39.6MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-002-008.pdf\">Letters about UFO (folder 6 and 7)<\/a> [147 Pages, 52.8MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-002-009.pdf\">Letters about UFO (folder 8 and 9)<\/a> [144 Pages, 64.9MB]<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" \/>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-002-010.pdf\">Letters about UFO (folder 10)<\/a> [96 Pages, 35.6MB]<\/p>\n<h4>Original Letters Stating Records Destroyed<\/h4>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/images\/pdf.gif\" alt=\"\" \/> <a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/JL1628.pdf\">FAA Letters<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/JL1628.pdf\"> of Correspondence along with ASIAS report <\/a>[6 Pages, 1.56MB]<\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0; margin: 20px 0; font-family: system-ui,-apple-system,Segoe UI,Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.4;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50%; vertical-align: top; background: #EAF9F1; color: #0e3b2e; padding: 18px; border: 1px solid #BEE7D4;\">\n<h3 style=\"margin: 0 0 10px 0; font-size: 20px;\">\u2705 What we know<\/h3>\n<ul style=\"margin: 0; padding-left: 18px;\">\n<li>Three\u2011person JAL <strong>cargo<\/strong> crew reported multiple lights and a large dark object during cruise over Alaska.<\/li>\n<li>FAA preserved extensive material: ATC audio\/transcripts, controller statements, facility logs, radar printouts, internal memos.<\/li>\n<li>Anchorage\/Elmendorf noted <strong>intermittent primary\u2011only radar returns<\/strong> during parts of the event window.<\/li>\n<li>Vectors, altitude changes, and a <strong>360\u00b0 turn<\/strong> were executed; another airline flight and a USAF tanker were vectored for possible visual confirmation.<\/li>\n<li>Captain Terauchi submitted written statements and sketches; post\u2011flight interviews of all three crew were recorded.<\/li>\n<li>Records later surfaced at the National Archives (<em>RG 237, local ID 1203; series 733667<\/em>)\u2014~1,500+ pages now accessible.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 50%; vertical-align: top; background: #FFF3ED; color: #5a1f12; padding: 18px; border: 1px solid #F5CDBD;\">\n<h3 style=\"margin: 0 0 10px 0; font-size: 20px;\">\u2753 What we don\u2019t know<\/h3>\n<ul style=\"margin: 0; padding-left: 18px;\">\n<li>The identity, origin, and propulsion of the objects described by the crew.<\/li>\n<li>Whether radar returns indicate a discrete second target or <em>artifacts<\/em> (e.g., split\u2011beacon\/processing effects).<\/li>\n<li>Why vectored aircraft (United flight; USAF tanker) did not obtain independent visual confirmation.<\/li>\n<li>Exact geometry, scale, and surface features of the large \u201cSaturn\/walnut\u2011shaped\u201d object beyond sketches and narrative description.<\/li>\n<li>Whether all pertinent raw data were archived or still exist beyond the released record set.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Timeline of Events<\/h2>\n<p>All times below are approximate Alaska Standard Time (UTC\u22129) on November 17, 1986. This timeline is reconstructed from FAA radar logs, radio transcripts, and crew statements<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=DEC%20l%208%20198b%20The,see%20white%20and%20yellow%20strobes\"><em>[6]<\/em><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=0231%20,Controller%20advised%20they%20did%20not\"><em>[7]<\/em><\/a>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>5:19 PM:<\/strong> The JAL 1628 crew contacts Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) to inquire if there is any traffic at their altitude (FL350). The controller replies that <strong>no other aircraft are in the area<\/strong>, but at that same moment Captain Terauchi reports seeing \u201c<strong>traffic<\/strong>\u201d with bright lights about 1 mile in front of his 747, at the same altitude<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=All%20times%20listed%20are%20approximate,o%27clock%20position%20at%208%20miles\"><em>[8]<\/em><\/a>. When asked for identifying markings, the pilot says they can only see <strong>white and yellow strobe lights<\/strong> on the unknown craft<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=All%20times%20listed%20are%20approximate,o%27clock%20position%20at%208%20miles\"><em>[8]<\/em><\/a>. (Anchorage radar shows no transponder returns there.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_04-20-28.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-8470\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_04-20-28.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1013\" height=\"556\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_04-20-28.jpg 1013w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_04-20-28-300x165.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_04-20-28-150x82.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_04-20-28-450x247.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_04-20-28-768x422.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1013px) 100vw, 1013px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>5:25 PM:<\/strong> The unidentified object\u2019s lights now also register on JAL 1628\u2019s <strong>onboard weather radar<\/strong>, prompting alarm. The crew reports the object at their 11 o\u2019clock position, roughly 7\u20138 nautical miles ahead<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=responded%20that%20they%20could%20only,in%20the%20vicinity%20of%20JL1628\"><em>[9]<\/em><\/a>. Anchorage Center still sees nothing on primary radar, so the FAA controller calls the <strong>Elmendorf Air Force Base<\/strong> Regional Operations Control Center (ROCC) and asks if they have any radar contact near JAL 1628\u2019s position<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=responded%20that%20they%20could%20only,in%20the%20vicinity%20of%20JL1628\"><em>[9]<\/em><\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>5:26 PM:<\/strong> Controllers at Elmendorf ROCC respond that <strong>their radar is picking up a \u201cprimary\u201d target<\/strong> (uncorrelated echo with no transponder) in JAL 1628\u2019s <em>10 o\u2019clock position<\/em> about 8 miles away<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=0226%20,When\"><em>[10]<\/em><\/a>. In other words, military radar briefly detects <em>something<\/em> near the 747. Seconds later, the ROCC calls back to report the unknown target has disappeared from their scope<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=of%20JL1628,in%20formation\"><em>[11]<\/em><\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_04-32-41.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-8471\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_04-32-41.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1011\" height=\"682\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_04-32-41.jpg 1011w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_04-32-41-300x202.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_04-32-41-150x101.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_04-32-41-450x304.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_04-32-41-768x518.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1011px) 100vw, 1011px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>5:31 PM:<\/strong> Captain Terauchi now gets a closer look at the object. He later describes the UFO\u2019s size as enormous \u2013 <em>\u201ca very big one\u2026 two times bigger than an aircraft carrier\u201d<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-1987-01-01-mn-1922-story.html#:~:text=Glimpses%20in%20Silhouette\"><em>[2]<\/em><\/a> when he glimpses its silhouette against the evening sky. At this point, concerned by the proximity of the unknown craft, Anchorage Center tells JAL 1628 it can take <strong>any evasive action<\/strong> needed. The pilot is promptly cleared to deviate from his assigned route<a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-1987-01-01-mn-1922-story.html#:~:text=Advertisement\"><em>[12]<\/em><\/a> for safety.<\/li>\n<li><strong>5:32 PM:<\/strong> JAL 1628 requests permission to descend from 35,000 feet to 31,000 feet, which Anchorage approves. As the 747 begins dropping altitude, the controller asks if the UFO is descending too. The pilot replies that the object is indeed descending <strong>\u201cin formation\u201d<\/strong> with them, maintaining the same distance and relative altitude separation throughout the maneuver<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=0231%20,of%20Fairbanks%20and%20ZAN%20contacted\"><em>[13]<\/em><\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>5:35 PM:<\/strong> The crew, growing nervous, asks for a heading change to get away from the intruder. Anchorage Center <strong>approves a turn to heading 210 (southwest)<\/strong>. By now the flight is in the vicinity of Fairbanks. Center also queries FAA <strong>Fairbanks Approach<\/strong> control to see if they have any radar contact on the unknown. Fairbanks controllers report seeing <strong>nothing<\/strong> on their radar scope aside from JAL 1628\u2019s blip<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=descending%20%22in%20formation%22.%200235%20,Controller%20advised%20they%20did%20not\"><em>[14]<\/em><\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>5:36 PM:<\/strong> To further evaluate the situation, Anchorage instructs JAL 1628 to make a <strong>360-degree turn<\/strong>. The idea is to see if the unknown object will continue to follow the Boeing 747 through a full circle or overshoot. Captain Terauchi executes a standard-rate full turn. During this turn, the object remains pinned at the 747\u2019s left (port) side the entire time<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-005.pdf#:~:text=Captain%20Terauchi%20said%20he%20was,approximately%2040%20nautical%20miles%20north\"><em>[15]<\/em><\/a> \u2013 confirming it is not a stationary light or planet but actively <strong>maneuvering along with the aircraft<\/strong>. (Terauchi later noted that the UFO \u201cmaintained its position on the port side during the turn\u201d<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-005.pdf#:~:text=Captain%20Terauchi%20said%20he%20was,approximately%2040%20nautical%20miles%20north\"><em>[15]<\/em><\/a>.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_12-36-48.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-8476\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_12-36-48.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"998\" height=\"630\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_12-36-48.jpg 998w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_12-36-48-300x189.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_12-36-48-150x95.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_12-36-48-450x284.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_12-36-48-768x485.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 998px) 100vw, 998px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>5:38 PM:<\/strong> Elmendorf ROCC radios back something startling \u2013 their radar now shows <strong>\u201ca flight of two\u201d<\/strong> targets in the vicinity of JAL 1628<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=0236%20,were%20no%20longer%20tracking%20it\"><em>[16]<\/em><\/a>. In other words, at this moment the military radar is briefly seeing two objects together (presumably one is JAL 1628 and one is an unknown). ROCC adds that one of the targets is a primary-only return (no transponder). This multi-target radar contact is fleeting; ROCC soon loses the unknown again. <em>(Later, the Air Force would publicly characterize these radar returns as spurious \u201cclutter.\u201d)<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>5:39 PM:<\/strong> The JAL crew reports that they have <strong>lost visual contact<\/strong> with the object. For the first time since the encounter began, the UFO\u2019s lights are no longer in sight.<\/li>\n<li><strong>5:42 PM:<\/strong> ROCC tells the FAA controller that their radar briefly picked up a primary target that <strong>\u201cdropped back and to the right\u201d<\/strong> of JAL 1628, and then disappeared<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=%3A%C2%B7watching%20this,at%207%20o%27clock%2C%208%20miles\"><em>[17]<\/em><\/a>. After 5:42 PM, Elmendorf\u2019s radar does not see the unknown again.<\/li>\n<li><strong>5:44 PM:<\/strong> Captain Terauchi announces that the UFO has <strong>reappeared<\/strong> in view \u2013 now off the 747\u2019s left side (around the 9 o\u2019clock position). It seems to be keeping pace alongside them once more.<\/li>\n<li><strong>5:45 PM:<\/strong> Anchorage Center, responding to the pilot\u2019s report that the object is still present, decides to seek confirmation from another aircraft. The controller contacts a nearby <strong>United Airlines passenger flight (UA Flight 69)<\/strong> northbound from Anchorage to Fairbanks, which is coming toward JAL 1628\u2019s location on an opposite course. Anchorage asks the United crew if they would deviate slightly and approach within a few miles of JAL 1628 to help observe. The United pilots agree, and they are given vectors that will bring them closer to JAL 1628\u2019s flight path<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-025.pdf#:~:text=ADC%20radar%20,been%20coordinating%20with%20the%20military\"><em>[18]<\/em><\/a>. (At the same time, a USAF KC-135 tanker aircraft flying in the general area is also alerted to look for anything unusual.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_05-09-46.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-8472\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_05-09-46.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1007\" height=\"646\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_05-09-46.jpg 1007w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_05-09-46-300x192.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_05-09-46-150x96.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_05-09-46-450x289.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_05-09-46-768x493.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1007px) 100vw, 1007px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>5:50 PM:<\/strong> As the United Airlines jet draws nearer, JAL 1628\u2019s crew reports the object\u2019s position is now behind them, at their 7 o\u2019clock (aft-left) about 7\u20138 miles away<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=0244%20,at%207%20o%27clock%2C%208%20miles\"><em>[19]<\/em><\/a>. Anchorage Center asks Captain Terauchi to flash his aircraft\u2019s landing lights a few times, so that the United flight can visually identify the JAL 747 and perhaps spot the trailing object.<\/li>\n<li><strong>5:51 PM:<\/strong> The United Airlines Flight 69 crew reports <strong>visual contact with JAL 1628<\/strong> (they can see the JAL 747 against the darkening sky), but they <strong>do not see any other object<\/strong> or traffic near it<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nicap.org\/861117alaska_dir.htm#:~:text=departed%20before%20a%20third%2C%20much,Audiotapes\"><em>[20]<\/em><\/a>. Similarly, the USAF tanker crew, upon flying past the area, reports <strong>nothing unusual<\/strong> in the vicinity besides the JAL cargo plane. Despite the JAL pilots still sensing something behind them, no one else can confirm the unidentified object by eye.<\/li>\n<li><strong>5:53 PM:<\/strong> JAL 1628 advises that the UFO\u2019s lights have vanished. At this point \u2013 roughly 50 minutes after the initial sighting \u2013 the strange encounter finally seems to have ended<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nicap.org\/861117alaska_dir.htm#:~:text=departed%20before%20a%20third%2C%20much,Audiotapes\"><em>[20]<\/em><\/a>. JAL 1628 continues on without further incident as it begins its descent toward Anchorage.<\/li>\n<li><strong>~6:20 PM:<\/strong> JAL Flight 1628 lands safely at <strong>Anchorage International Airport<\/strong>. Upon arrival, the shaken crew is met by FAA personnel for an immediate debrief. The three men \u2013 Captain Terauchi, First Officer Tamefuji, and Flight Engineer Tsukuba \u2013 are each interviewed separately by FAA investigators on the night of the incident. They describe in detail what they saw and experienced, providing written statements and even sketches of the UFO. (Captain Terauchi\u2019s drawing showed a huge Saturn-shaped craft with a bulging center and a ring-like rim \u2013 essentially a \u201cmothership\u201d that he inferred was behind the smaller lighted craft.) The crew is found to be perfectly sober, healthy, and professional by the investigators<a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-1987-01-01-mn-1922-story.html#:~:text=%E2%80%98Professional%E2%80%99%20Crew\"><em>[21]<\/em><\/a>. That same night, FAA officials quietly launch an inquiry into what exactly happened over Alaska\u2019s skies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>(Note:<\/em> <em>The above chronology is based on an official FAA summary memo<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=DEC%20l%208%20198b%20The,see%20white%20and%20yellow%20strobes\"><em>[6]<\/em><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=0236%20,was%20now%20at%209%20o%27clock\"><em>[22]<\/em><\/a><em> corroborated by pilot and controller reports. Times are approximate; in FAA records the incident is logged between 0219\u20130253 UTC on Nov 18, 1986, corresponding to 5:19\u20135:53 PM AST Nov 17.)<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Primary Documentation<\/h2>\n<p>The JAL 1628 incident generated a substantial body of <strong>official documentation<\/strong>. In early 1987, the FAA compiled all relevant records into a case file, much of which was later released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)<a href=\"https:\/\/thedebrief.org\/what-really-happened-to-japan-airlines-flight-1628-in-1986\/#:~:text=inquiries%20as%20all%20the%20rest\"><em>[23]<\/em><\/a>. These primary sources include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>FAA Incident Reports and Memos:<\/strong> Immediately after the event, FAA personnel in the Alaskan Region documented the occurrence. An FAA Aircraft Incident Report (Form 8020-5) was filed, summarizing Flight 1628\u2019s encounter as an \u201cunidentified traffic\u201d incident. Additionally, an internal <strong>\u201cAlert Notice\u201d memo<\/strong> was circulated by Alaskan regional director Franklin L. Cunningham (AAL-1) in November 1986, describing the sighting and the actions taken. This one-page summary provides a concise overview: the JAL crew reported \u201clighted air traffic, in close proximity,\u201d with no known traffic on radar, though <strong>intermittent primary radar targets<\/strong> were noted<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-025.pdf#:~:text=B747%2C%20FL350%20enroute%20to%20Tokyo,over%20350%20miles%20until%20object\"><em>[24]<\/em><\/a>. It states the sighting continued for over 350 miles until the object departed to the east, and that the crew was considered \u201cprofessional, rational\u201d upon interview<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-025.pdf#:~:text=red%201%20ights,informing%20media%20that%20it%20was\"><em>[25]<\/em><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-025.pdf#:~:text=both%20with%20negative%20reports,been%20coordinating%20with%20the%20military\"><em>[26]<\/em><\/a>. The memo also notes that the <strong>US Air Force at Elmendorf AFB<\/strong> had tracked occasional primary returns (which the Air Force later told the media were \u201cclutter\u201d)<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-025.pdf#:~:text=using%20onboard%20color%20radar,Crew\"><em>[27]<\/em><\/a>. A follow-up memo in February 1987 routed to FAA headquarters summarized the case and media inquiries. These internal memos set the stage for FAA leadership\u2019s awareness of the event.<\/li>\n<li><strong>ATC Logs and Radar Data Analysis:<\/strong> Anchorage Center preserved the <strong>radar track data<\/strong> from Flight 1628\u2019s journey and conducted a detailed review. A chronological <strong>\u201cSummary of Air Traffic Control communications\u201d<\/strong> was written by Quentin J. Gates (Air Traffic Manager at Anchorage ARTCC) on December 18, 1986<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=DEC%20l%208%20198b%20The,see%20white%20and%20yellow%20strobes\"><em>[6]<\/em><\/a>. This official timeline lists each key event from 5:19 to 5:53 PM (0219\u20130253 UTC), confirming for instance the moments when the pilot reported the UFO\u2019s position, when military radar picked up a \u201cprimary target,\u201d and when other planes were enlisted to help<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=0219%20,radar%20returns%20near%20the%20position\"><em>[28]<\/em><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=0236%20,was%20now%20at%209%20o%27clock\"><em>[22]<\/em><\/a>. The summary concludes that a subsequent review of Anchorage\u2019s radar <strong>\u201cfailed to confirm any targets in close proximity to JAL 1628.\u201d<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=0242%20,at%207%20o%27clock%2C%208%20miles\"><em>[29]<\/em><\/a> In addition, over 150 pages of raw radar printout data were collected (to document the blips seen on the scopes). Computer plots of the radar returns were later generated for analysis. Anchorage Center\u2019s daily operation log and controller shift logs were also archived, showing how controllers reacted in real time. The <strong>radar evidence<\/strong>, while intriguing in that moments of an unknown target were recorded, was ultimately <strong>inconclusive<\/strong> \u2013 it did not provide a consistent track for the UFO beyond the primary returns that could be interpreted as anomalies.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pilot and Crew Interviews:<\/strong> Upon landing, the crew was interviewed on November 17, 1986 by FAA security and flight standards officials (including Security Agent Ronald E. Mickle and Security Manager James Derry). Written affidavits and interview notes document the <strong>crew\u2019s first-hand descriptions<\/strong>. According to Agent Mickle\u2019s report, Captain Terauchi stated that just after passing a navigational waypoint (near the Arctic Circle), they observed \u201c<strong>strange lights<\/strong> ahead of their 747\u201d<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-005.pdf#:~:text=On%20Novanber%2017%2C%20I%20responded,the%20JAL%20Operations%20Manager%20at\"><em>[30]<\/em><\/a>. These lights moved erratically: after a couple of minutes they shifted position but stayed in front of the aircraft for about 10 minutes, then moved to the left side<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-005.pdf#:~:text=The%20three%20crewrren%20stated%20that,position%20relative%20to%20one%20another\"><em>[31]<\/em><\/a>. The crew emphasized they saw only the lights and <strong>\u201cat no time could they see any craft\u201d<\/strong> structure<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-005.pdf#:~:text=but%20rana,The\"><em>[32]<\/em><\/a>. However, the plane\u2019s weather radar did detect an object about 7 miles ahead when the lights were visible<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-005.pdf#:~:text=to%20the%20left%20side%20of,position%20relative%20to%20one%20another\"><em>[33]<\/em><\/a>. The lights were described as <strong>yellow, amber, and green<\/strong> in color \u2013 notably, <strong>no red light<\/strong> was observed, which is unusual since aviation lights generally include red. The lights appeared in \u201ctwo separate sets\u201d that changed position relative to each other<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-005.pdf#:~:text=they%20did%20shcM%20an%20object,inred%20that%20they%20also%20had\"><em>[34]<\/em><\/a>, suggesting two objects acting in tandem. The crew recounted how the lights reacted to the 747\u2019s movements \u2013 pacing them through turns and altitude changes. Both Agent Mickle and Agent Derry found the crew to be <strong>credible and professional<\/strong> in demeanor. Their reports noted that the crew was cooperative, showed no sign of impairment or hysteria, and even maintained a sense of humor. (In fact, Captain Terauchi jokingly mused during the interview whether the UFO occupants might be interested in their cargo of French wine \u2013 a remark he later repeated to the press<a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-1987-01-01-mn-1922-story.html#:~:text=Terauchi%20said%20the%20crew%20was,degree%20turn%2C%20he%20said\"><em>[35]<\/em><\/a>.) One addendum in the FAA file, gleaned via a confidential source at JAL, mentioned that this <strong>was not Captain Terauchi\u2019s first UFO sighting<\/strong> \u2013 he had apparently reported seeing unusual aerial phenomena on at least two prior occasions<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-005.pdf#:~:text=\"><em>[36]<\/em><\/a>. This fact, kept in mind by investigators, would later be seized upon by skeptics (labeling Terauchi a \u201cUFO repeater\u201d).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Captain Terauchi\u2019s Written Statement:<\/strong> A few weeks after the incident, as part of the investigation, Captain Terauchi submitted a <strong>detailed written report<\/strong> (with sketches) to the FAA, describing the encounter in his own words. In this report (written in Japanese and translated to English), Terauchi elaborated on the appearance and behavior of the UFOs. He described the largest craft \u2013 which he termed the \u201cmothership\u201d \u2013 as deliberately staying in darkness: it <strong>\u201cpositioned itself in the darkest easterly side of the sky\u201d<\/strong> so that it would not be easily seen<a href=\"https:\/\/centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/1987\/07\/22165315\/p04.pdf#:~:text=During%20his%20January%202%20interview,we%20humans%20will%20meet%20them\"><em>[37]<\/em><\/a>. He wrote that when his flight was in front of the sunset, the UFO stayed in the dark background, possibly \u201cnot wanting to be seen.\u201d Terauchi also expressed a personal hope that \u201c<strong>we humans will meet them in the near future<\/strong>\u201d<a href=\"https:\/\/centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/1987\/07\/22165315\/p04.pdf#:~:text=not%20want%20to%20be%20seen.,time%20but%20has%20since%20been\"><em>[38]<\/em><\/a>, indicating he felt the objects might be some form of extraterrestrial craft. (His openness to the UFO\u2019s extraordinary nature was clear \u2013 in interviews he even used words like \u201cspaceship\u201d and \u201cmothership\u201d to describe it<a href=\"https:\/\/centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/1987\/07\/22165315\/p04.pdf#:~:text=The%20JAL%20pilot%20is%20convinced,I%20think%20they%20did\"><em>[39]<\/em><\/a>.) In a later addendum dated January 11, 1987, Terauchi reported <em>another<\/em> sighting of similar lights in roughly the same area while flying from Paris to Anchorage \u2013 an event which, after military radar failed to corroborate it, was tentatively explained as distant city lights refracted through ice crystals<a href=\"https:\/\/centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/1987\/07\/22165315\/p04.pdf#:~:text=,data%20package%2C%20resembled%20Terauchi%27s%20description\"><em>[40]<\/em><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/1987\/07\/22165315\/p04.pdf#:~:text=later,aircraft%20in%20the%20area%20that\"><em>[41]<\/em><\/a>. Terauchi\u2019s written account, combined with the earlier interviews, provides a vivid personal narrative to accompany the objective data.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In summary, the <strong>primary documentation<\/strong> for the JAL 1628 case is unusually rich. Few other UFO incidents have such a convergence of <strong>pilot testimony, radar records, audio transcripts, and official investigative reports<\/strong>. These sources allow a detailed reconstruction and analysis of the incident from multiple angles \u2013 even if they ultimately stopped short of identifying the phenomenon encountered.<\/p>\n<h2>Witness Accounts<\/h2>\n<p><em>Captain Terauchi\u2019s sketch of the enormous \u201cmothership\u201d UFO that he and his crew reported, showing a walnut or Saturn-shaped craft roughly two times the length of an aircraft carrier. He drew this from memory as part of his FAA report. The Japanese annotations describe the object\u2019s silhouette and the placement of its lights.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The <strong>first-hand accounts<\/strong> of the crew of JAL Flight 1628 are both fascinating and baffling. All three men were experienced airmen with military backgrounds and thousands of flight hours, not prone to exaggeration.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-8477\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_12-53-42.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"666\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_12-53-42.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_12-53-42-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_12-53-42-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_12-53-42-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_12-53-42-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">What they described during and after the flight was nothing short of astounding:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Initial Encounter \u2013 Small \u201cFlying Lights\u201d:<\/strong> The encounter began with two small UFOs that approached the 747. Terauchi and his crew first noticed <strong>two amber-colored lights<\/strong> off to the left, which suddenly rose from below and closed in to fly alongside their aircraft<a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanghostwalks.com\/haunted-alaskan-skies-1986-s-japan-airlines-flight-1628-ufo-encounter#:~:text=First%20Officer%20Takanori%20Tamefuji%20and,very%20close%E2%80%9D%20to%20his%20aircraft\"><em>[42]<\/em><\/a>. These objects had a peculiar array of lights. Terauchi described seeing what looked like two rectangular clusters of glowing nozzles or <strong>\u201cthrusters,\u201d<\/strong> though the craft\u2019s bodies were obscured by darkness<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nicap.org\/861117alaska_dir.htm#:~:text=glow%20from%20the%20setting%20sun,them%2C%20causing%20the%20pilots%20to\"><em>[43]<\/em><\/a>. The pair of UFOs darted around the jumbo jet with high agility, at times demonstrating instantaneous acceleration. According to the crew, the objects would <strong>\u201cshoot off lights\u201d<\/strong> and move erratically, as if under intelligent control<a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanghostwalks.com\/haunted-alaskan-skies-1986-s-japan-airlines-flight-1628-ufo-encounter#:~:text=What%20unfolded%20next%20was%20a,Terauchi%20later%20mused\"><em>[44]<\/em><\/a>.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_18-33-03.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-8482\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_18-33-03.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1003\" height=\"664\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_18-33-03.jpg 1003w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_18-33-03-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_18-33-03-150x99.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_18-33-03-450x298.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_18-33-03-768x508.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1003px) 100vw, 1003px\" \/><\/a>At one point, the two objects abruptly positioned themselves directly in front of the 747, perhaps only a few hundred feet ahead of the nose. The glare was so intense that the 747\u2019s cockpit <strong>\u201cwas lit up\u201d<\/strong> brightly, and Captain Terauchi could <strong>feel heat<\/strong> on his face from the objects\u2019 glow<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nicap.org\/861117alaska_dir.htm#:~:text=abruptly%20rose%20from%20below%20and,Traffic%20Control%20obliged%20and%20requested\"><em>[45]<\/em><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newindianexpress.com\/opinions\/2016\/Nov\/09\/pilots-were-not-encouraged-to-discuss-ufos-with-media-1536454.html#:~:text=follow%20him\"><em>[46]<\/em><\/a>. The lights were described as a \u201cChristmas tree\u201d of flashing white, orange, green, and amber colors<a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanghostwalks.com\/haunted-alaskan-skies-1986-s-japan-airlines-flight-1628-ufo-encounter#:~:text=maneuvered%20around%20his%20jumbo%20jet,\"><em>[47]<\/em><\/a>. Terauchi later emphasized that <strong>they were not stars or planets<\/strong>: \u201cthey were so luminous\u2026 blinking, blinking\u2026 moving in one close formation,\u201d he said, stressing that these objects exhibited motion and characteristics unlike any distant celestial light<a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanghostwalks.com\/haunted-alaskan-skies-1986-s-japan-airlines-flight-1628-ufo-encounter#:~:text=appeared%20directly%20in%20front%20of,moving%20in%20one%20close%20formation%E2%80%9D\"><em>[48]<\/em><\/a>. During this phase, the crew got the impression the smaller craft might be <strong>\u201cscouting\u201d<\/strong> or inspecting their airplane \u2013 as Terauchi put it, the two UFOs seemed to be flying in <strong>\u201cclose formation\u201d<\/strong> around the 747, almost playfully<a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanghostwalks.com\/haunted-alaskan-skies-1986-s-japan-airlines-flight-1628-ufo-encounter#:~:text=appeared%20directly%20in%20front%20of,moving%20in%20one%20close%20formation%E2%80%9D\"><em>[48]<\/em><\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Appearance of the \u201cMothership\u201d:<\/strong> After some minutes of this, the two smaller objects departed (or suddenly vanished from view). It was then that the crew became aware of a <strong>third object<\/strong> \u2013 a much larger presence \u2013 lurking in the darkness. Off to the left side of the aircraft, against the dim evening sky, Captain Terauchi saw a <strong>gigantic silhouette<\/strong> come into view<a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanghostwalks.com\/haunted-alaskan-skies-1986-s-japan-airlines-flight-1628-ufo-encounter#:~:text=Then%20came%20the%20most%20dramatic,city%20block%20in%20the%20sky\"><em>[49]<\/em><\/a>. Initially, it was just a large dark shape, but as his eyes adjusted he discerned a form he later described as resembling a \u201c<strong>walnut<\/strong>\u201d or shell-like shape. The object had a wide, flat bottom and top with a chubby, bulging center \u2013 very much like the planet Saturn with a thick ring around it. Terauchi estimated this craft was truly enormous, on the order of <strong>\u201ctwo times bigger than an aircraft carrier\u201d<\/strong> (aircraft carriers are ~300 meters long)<a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanghostwalks.com\/haunted-alaskan-skies-1986-s-japan-airlines-flight-1628-ufo-encounter#:~:text=to%20a%20surreal%2C%20flying%20walnut,city%20block%20in%20the%20sky\"><em>[50]<\/em><\/a>. In other words, the UFO was <em>over half a kilometer<\/em> in size. It had no visible wings or tail. The surface appeared dark gray or dull metallic, with some structural details: Terauchi noted panellike markings and what looked like <strong>turrets or circular indentations<\/strong> on the object\u2019s surface<a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanghostwalks.com\/haunted-alaskan-skies-1986-s-japan-airlines-flight-1628-ufo-encounter#:~:text=The%20%E2%80%9Cmothership%E2%80%9D%20positioned%20itself%20in,intense%20lights%20moving%20in%20unison\"><em>[51]<\/em><\/a>. Unlike the smaller brightly-lit UFOs, this large craft did not display an array of multicolor lights. The captain recalled only seeing some faint amber or pale white lights on it, possibly on each end of the \u201cring.\u201d In his sketch, he marked the placement of these lights on the huge ellipse (see figure above). This <strong>\u201cmothership\u201d<\/strong> trailed JAL 1628 from a slight distance \u2013 mostly staying to the left of the 747, matching their speed and direction. Its sheer size and proximity are what prompted the crew to request course and altitude changes out of concern.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Crew\u2019s Emotional State:<\/strong> Throughout the encounter, Captain Terauchi and his crew remained communicative with air traffic control, though they were certainly <strong>unnerved<\/strong> by what was happening. The cockpit voice recordings (per FAA transcripts) show Terauchi at times sounding excited but under control. He later admitted to feeling <em>a mix of awe and worry<\/em>. He was not panicked, but he was definitely concerned that these objects \u2013 especially the gigantic \u201cmothership\u201d \u2013 posed a mid-air collision risk if they got any closer<a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-1987-01-01-mn-1922-story.html#:~:text=Advertisement\"><em>[52]<\/em><\/a>. The crew reported no loss of avionics or serious electromagnetic effects, though at one point they noted some <strong>mild static on the radio<\/strong> and a momentary loss of VHF communication clarity<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-005.pdf#:~:text=their%20speed%20as%200,N%2C%20I%20called%20Captain\"><em>[53]<\/em><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-005.pdf#:~:text=of%20Talkeetna%2C%20while%20continuing%20on,%C2%B7%20%C2%B7\"><em>[54]<\/em><\/a>. They did not report any feeling of turbulence or shock waves from the objects, just the visual phenomenon and the radar contacts. After landing, the FAA interviewers found the crew <strong>\u201cnormal, professional, rational\u201d<\/strong> with no hint of hoax or hallucination<a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-1987-01-01-mn-1922-story.html#:~:text=%E2%80%98Professional%E2%80%99%20Crew\"><em>[21]<\/em><\/a>. All three firmly stood by their account of what they saw. In fact, both First Officer Tamefuji and Flight Engineer Tsukuba corroborated the <strong>presence of the two smaller UFOs<\/strong> with bright pulsating lights that maneuvered around their plane<a href=\"https:\/\/thedebrief.org\/what-really-happened-to-japan-airlines-flight-1628-in-1986\/#:~:text=WHAT%20WAS%20IT%20THE%20PILOT,CLAIMED%20TO%20HAVE%20SEEN\"><em>[55]<\/em><\/a>. They also confirmed the outline of the larger object that lingered afterward (though Terauchi, as the pilot in command, had the clearest view and took the lead in descriptions).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Other Witnesses:<\/strong> Notably, during the incident the JAL crew were <strong>the only ones who saw the UFOs visually<\/strong>. When another aircraft (United 69) was vectored nearby to help, its pilots did <em>not<\/em> see any strange traffic, nor did a military KC-135 crew in the area. This lack of additional eyewitness confirmation could be due to timing and distance \u2013 by the time the United flight approached within a few miles, the unknown object was behind JAL 1628 and perhaps no longer illuminated or easily visible against the dark sky. The United crew only had JAL 1628 in sight \u201cagainst a light background\u201d of the twilight horizon and reported seeing no other lights or craft<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=0244%20,at%207%20o%27clock%2C%208%20miles\"><em>[19]<\/em><\/a>. This frustrated Terauchi, who later commented that the other pilots \u201cwere looking at the wrong time and place\u201d \u2013 essentially, he believed the UFO had either extinguished its lights or moved off by the time they came. On the ground, several FAA controllers in Anchorage did see <strong>unexplained blips<\/strong> on radar corresponding to JAL 1628\u2019s position, which they found highly unusual. But visually, no one on the ground saw the objects (it was dark and the area was remote).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_18-28-17.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-8481\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_18-28-17.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1384\" height=\"889\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_18-28-17.jpg 1384w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_18-28-17-300x193.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_18-28-17-1024x658.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_18-28-17-150x96.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_18-28-17-450x289.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_18-28-17-1200x771.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-22_18-28-17-768x493.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1384px) 100vw, 1384px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>To this day, the crew of JAL 1628 <strong>maintains the validity of their experience<\/strong>. Captain Terauchi in later interviews reaffirmed that <em>\u201cthe UFO was there\u201d<\/em> and that he \u201ccould not have been mistaken\u201d about its extraordinary size and behavior<a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-1987-01-01-mn-1922-story.html#:~:text=Terauchi%2C%20a%20pilot%20for%2029,%E2%80%9D\"><em>[56]<\/em><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Japan_Air_Lines_Cargo_Flight_1628#:~:text=Editor%20of%20Aviation%20Week%20and,5\"><em>[57]<\/em><\/a>. His crew likewise stuck to their story (though they spoke less publicly). In summary, their accounts portray an encounter with <strong>structured, highly-active craft<\/strong> of unknown origin \u2013 something far beyond normal aircraft or natural phenomena. The vividness of their testimony is a big reason this case has become a modern legend in aviation circles.<\/p>\n<h2>Media and Public Coverage<\/h2>\n<p>The JAL Flight 1628 UFO encounter did not reach the public until several weeks after it happened. Initially, the incident was kept within official channels \u2013 the FAA and military \u2013 and the crew was <em>not<\/em> encouraged to speak publicly. However, in December 1986, word began to leak out. Captain Terauchi gave a brief account to two Japanese reporters from the <strong>Kyodo News Service<\/strong> in Japan, hoping to share his experience. This opened the floodgates. By the end of December 1986, news of an airline crew seeing a huge UFO over Alaska hit the wires.<\/p>\n<p>On December 31, 1986 and January 1, 1987, major media outlets ran stories on the incident. The <strong>Los Angeles Times<\/strong> (via UPI) and other papers quoted Captain Terauchi describing an enormous object that dwarfed his 747, confirmed at least in part by FAA radar<a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-1987-01-01-mn-1922-story.html#:~:text=United%20Press%20International\"><em>[58]<\/em><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-1987-01-01-mn-1922-story.html#:~:text=Glimpses%20in%20Silhouette\"><em>[59]<\/em><\/a>. An article in the <strong>Washington Post<\/strong> on January 2, 1987 ran with the headline: <em>\u201cUFO Sighting Confirmed by FAA, Air Force Radar; Japanese Crew Tells of Encounter Over Alaska.\u201d<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/archive\/politics\/1987\/01\/02\/ufo-sighting-confirmed-by-faa-air-force-radar\/c186c4b7-54ed-459e-b94d-eeeff7b3322e\/#:~:text=UFO%20SIGHTING%20CONFIRMED%20BY%20FAA%2C,Summary\"><em>[60]<\/em><\/a> The story went global, making headlines in Japan and around the world. Suddenly, JAL 1628\u2019s encounter became one of the most famous UFO cases of the decade.<\/p>\n<p>The FAA in Anchorage found itself besieged by media inquiries \u201cmounting after inquiry by Kyodo News Service,\u201d as one internal memo noted<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-025.pdf#:~:text=determined%20to%20be%20professional%2C%20rational,inquiry%20by%20Kyodo%20News%20Service\"><em>[61]<\/em><\/a>. Paul Steucke, the FAA\u2019s Alaska region public affairs officer, initially confirmed to reporters that <strong>something had been tracked on radar<\/strong> in the vicinity of the JAL flight<a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanghostwalks.com\/haunted-alaskan-skies-1986-s-japan-airlines-flight-1628-ufo-encounter#:~:text=the%20plane%E2%80%99s%20own%20radar%2C%20FAA,%E2%80%9D\"><em>[62]<\/em><\/a>. He acknowledged that the crew reported a UFO and that the Air Force radar had picked up a target; essentially <strong>officials admitted the incident happened<\/strong> (which lent it credibility in the press). This was quite unusual \u2013 it\u2019s one of the few times that a UFO encounter received tacit confirmation from government authorities in real-time.<\/p>\n<p>Public interest in the story was intense. Alongside serious news coverage, the case spurred a frenzy of speculation. Late-night TV programs and newspapers debated: <em>What did the Japanese pilots really see?<\/em> With the Cold War still on, some wondered if it was a secret Soviet aircraft or military test. Others suspected an extraterrestrial spacecraft. The term \u201cmothership\u201d from Terauchi\u2019s account made for tantalizing headlines.<\/p>\n<p>Japan Air Lines\u2019 corporate management took a <strong>conservative stance<\/strong>. They refrained from making any official comment supporting or denying the crew\u2019s claims. Behind the scenes, however, JAL was <em>not entirely pleased<\/em> with the publicity. In fact, Captain Terauchi faced some professional fallout: <strong>after speaking to the press, JAL temporarily grounded him<\/strong>. According to later reports, in early 1987 Terauchi was removed from flight duty and assigned to an office job, ostensibly due to the unwanted attention his UFO report drew to the airline<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newindianexpress.com\/opinions\/2016\/Nov\/09\/pilots-were-not-encouraged-to-discuss-ufos-with-media-1536454.html#:~:text=In%20Dec%201986%2C%20Captain%20Terauchi,Keep%20your\"><em>[63]<\/em><\/a>. (Years later, JAL reinstated him as a pilot, quietly acknowledging that he hadn\u2019t done anything wrong per se \u2013 he had followed procedures in reporting the UFO, but the airline preferred to downplay the incident.) This action by JAL underscores a common theme in aviation: pilots who report UFOs publicly can face career hindrances, not due to the veracity of their accounts but due to corporate and industry stigma around the topic.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>public reaction<\/strong> to the JAL 1628 story was mixed. Many were fascinated and took it as potential evidence of UFOs (the case was frequently cited by UFO organizations as a \u201cbest case\u201d due to the radar confirmation). Skeptics and aviation experts, on the other hand, raised doubts (as discussed in the next section). Nonetheless, the incident stayed in the public eye for months. In March 1987, after the FAA completed its formal investigation, the agency held a press conference in Anchorage to share its findings. At that event, FAA officials revealed radar data plots and played audio recordings of the communications. The <strong>final FAA report<\/strong>, released later in 1987, stated that the investigators were <strong>\u201cunable to support\u201d<\/strong> the UFO hypothesis but also <strong>could not fully explain<\/strong> what the pilots saw<a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Archives\/1987\/01\/03\/FAA-reopens-UFO-probe\/9716536648400\/#:~:text=,Audio%20Coming%20Soon\"><em>[64]<\/em><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Archives\/1987\/03\/06\/Final-FAA-report-cant-explain-UFO-sighting\/4541542005200\/#:~:text=Final%20FAA%20report%20can%27t%20explain,FAA%20report%20on%20the\"><em>[65]<\/em><\/a>. This equivocal conclusion kept the mystery alive.<\/p>\n<p>Over the years, Flight 1628\u2019s encounter has been recounted in countless UFO books, documentaries, and articles. It was featured in a 1996 episode of <em>Unsolved Mysteries<\/em> and in 2006 on the History Channel special <em>\u201cBlack Box UFOs,\u201d<\/em> which even played excerpts from the FAA control tower tapes<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nicap.org\/861117alaska_dir.htm#:~:text=a%20military%20craft%20sighted%20JAL,in%20August%20of%202006\"><em>[66]<\/em><\/a>. The case remains one of the most widely publicized and discussed pilot-UFO encounters to date.<\/p>\n<h2>Official Government Response<\/h2>\n<p>Initially, the FAA appeared responsive to the JAL 1628 incident \u2013 even a bit caught off guard by the attention. As described, the FAA\u2019s Alaskan regional office compiled an extensive data package on the case by early 1987 and shared it with headquarters and the public upon request. But <strong>officially, the U.S. government was careful in how it characterized the incident<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>By January 1987, FAA spokesmen were already <strong>walking back<\/strong> the more sensational aspects. In Anchorage, public affairs officer Paul Steucke cautioned that the FAA was <em>not<\/em> in the UFO-investigation business. He famously said that the agency <strong>\u201cdoes not have the resources or the Congressional mandate to investigate sightings of unidentified flying objects.\u201d<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/1987\/07\/22165315\/p04.pdf#:~:text=January,affairs%20officer%2C%20Paul%20Steucke%2C%20noted\"><em>[67]<\/em><\/a> He explained that the FAA\u2019s role was simply to ensure aviation safety, and in this case they preserved the data but would not speculate on the UFO\u2019s nature. In essence, the FAA treated the event as an air traffic incident, not as an extraterrestrial visitation to be researched.<\/p>\n<p>The FAA\u2019s <em>official<\/em> conclusion, delivered in a report in March 1987, was that <strong>no definite evidence of a second aircraft could be found<\/strong>. The unusual radar returns were tentatively explained as <strong>radar anomalies<\/strong> \u2013 specifically a possible \u201csplit radar image\u201d of JAL 1628\u2019s own transponder echo or other <strong>interference (clutter)<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanghostwalks.com\/haunted-alaskan-skies-1986-s-japan-airlines-flight-1628-ufo-encounter#:~:text=The%C2%A0%20radar%20evidence%2C%20however%2C%20soon,of%20JAL1628%E2%80%99s%20own%20radar%20return\"><em>[68]<\/em><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanghostwalks.com\/haunted-alaskan-skies-1986-s-japan-airlines-flight-1628-ufo-encounter#:~:text=Could%20that%20explain%20the%20mysterious,became%3A%20Radar%20found%20nothing%20solid\"><em>[69]<\/em><\/a>. In other words, the radar \u201cdouble target\u201d might have been a ghost caused by the radar signal itself. The FAA controllers involved weren\u2019t entirely convinced by this, but that became the agency\u2019s public line. The Air Force similarly stated that their radar contact was nothing substantial \u2013 just a momentary <strong>uncorrelated primary blip<\/strong> that could not be confirmed.<\/p>\n<p>Crucially, the FAA <strong>did not accuse the crew of any wrongdoing<\/strong>. In fact, in internal memos they stressed the pilots were reliable and had really seen <em>something<\/em>. The final FAA report (summarized to the media) said the incident <strong>\u201ccould not be identified\u201d<\/strong> as any known aircraft or phenomenon, but also that the agency had no evidence to prove the crew <em>didn\u2019t<\/em> see something real<a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Archives\/1987\/03\/06\/Final-FAA-report-cant-explain-UFO-sighting\/4541542005200\/#:~:text=Final%20FAA%20report%20can%27t%20explain,FAA%20report%20on%20the\"><em>[65]<\/em><\/a>. Essentially it was labeled <strong>\u201cunexplained\u201d<\/strong> but with the caveat that no formal UFO investigation would follow.<\/p>\n<p>Behind the scenes, there was at least one intriguing government meeting about the case. In late January 1987, FAA division chief John Callahan in Washington, DC, convened a briefing where the FAA\u2019s radar data, voice tapes, and reports on JAL 1628 were shown to representatives from other agencies. According to Callahan (who spoke out years later), this meeting included personnel from the CIA and science advisors from the Reagan administration. The officials reviewed the case, and at the end a CIA representative supposedly instructed that <strong>\u201cthis event never happened\u201d<\/strong> and that all participants were sworn to secrecy<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230524025304\/https:\/skeptoid.com\/episodes\/4753#:~:text=The%20story%20is%20also%20notable,of%20the%20CIA%20men%20said\"><em>[70]<\/em><\/a>. While Callahan\u2019s dramatic account is unconfirmed by other sources, it suggests that parts of the U.S. government did take a keen interest in the incident \u2013 if only to understand whether it posed any defense or airspace concern. (Callahan kept copies of the data and later gave them to UFO researchers, ensuring the case files weren\u2019t truly buried.)<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, the <strong>government\u2019s official response<\/strong> to the JAL 1628 UFO encounter was to acknowledge that something occurred, provide the factual data, but <strong>offer no definitive explanation<\/strong>. The case was essentially filed away as an unsolved anomaly. Importantly, the FAA made no attempt to <strong>debunk<\/strong> the crew in an insulting way; they simply released the information and stated they couldn\u2019t pursue it further. As Steucke explained: <em>\u201cWe have not tried to determine what the crew of JAL Flight 1628 saw, based on scientific analysis of the stars, planets, etc.\u201d<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/1987\/07\/22165315\/p04.pdf#:~:text=incident%2C%20the%20FAA%27s%20Alaskan%20Region,affairs%20officer%2C%20Paul%20Steucke%2C%20noted\"><em>[71]<\/em><\/a> In other words, once it was clear no regulatory violation or safety hazard remained, the FAA closed the case.<\/p>\n<p>For the record, in February 1987 the FAA did issue new guidance to its air traffic staff regarding <strong>UFO reports<\/strong> \u2013 essentially telling controllers how to log such incidents but also advising them not to speculate publicly. This was likely a reaction to the mini-frenzy JAL 1628 caused. The U.S. Air Force, for its part, had officially ceased investigating UFO sightings back in 1969 (with the end of Project Blue Book). So by 1986 the Air Force had no mandate to investigate civilian UFO reports. It treated the JAL radar contact as a one-off event with no national security significance (after determining it wasn\u2019t a clandestine Soviet aircraft, presumably).<\/p>\n<p>In summary, the <strong>official stance<\/strong> boiled down to: <em>Crew saw lights; radar had blips; we don\u2019t know what it was; we aren\u2019t chasing it.<\/em> The case highlights the cautious, often reluctant manner in which authorities handle UFO incidents \u2013 focusing on technical data and safety, but avoiding any suggestion of extraterrestrial conclusions.<\/p>\n<h2>Skeptical Explanations and Debunking Attempts<\/h2>\n<p>Almost as soon as the JAL 1628 story hit the news, <strong>skeptics and debunkers<\/strong> began analyzing the case to find a prosaic explanation. While the incident\u2019s high strangeness attracted UFO believers, it also drew the attention of scientific skeptics who suspected there must be a mistake or misinterpretation at play.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-25_03-27-59.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-8485\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-25_03-27-59.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1011\" height=\"669\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-25_03-27-59.jpg 1011w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-25_03-27-59-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-25_03-27-59-150x99.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-25_03-27-59-450x298.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-25_03-27-59-768x508.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1011px) 100vw, 1011px\" \/><\/a>Over the years, several key points have been raised to cast doubt on the \u201calien spacecraft\u201d interpretation:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Radar \u201cGhost Targets\u201d:<\/strong> One of the strongest skeptical arguments focused on the <strong>radar evidence<\/strong>. Philip J. Klass, a noted aerospace journalist and UFO skeptic, obtained the FAA\u2019s data and consulted with radar experts. He reported that the intermittent second blip on radar could be explained by a known phenomenon called an <em>\u201cuncorrected primary and beacon target.\u201d<\/em> This occurs when a radar\u2019s returns momentarily get out of sync with an aircraft\u2019s transponder signal, creating a duplicate echo where there is in fact only one plane. According to an FAA radar specialist, Dennis R. Simantel, such uncorrected primary returns <strong>\u201care not uncommon\u201d<\/strong> given the timing loops in radar equipment<a href=\"https:\/\/centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/1987\/07\/22165315\/p04.pdf#:~:text=This%20analysis%20showed%20that%20the,can%20occur%20if%20the%20radar\"><em>[72]<\/em><\/a>. In other words, what appeared as a second object on the radar at times may well have been a <strong>false target<\/strong> \u2013 essentially a glitch overlapping JAL 1628\u2019s own return. Indeed, a later FAA analysis determined that the radar track printouts did <strong>not<\/strong> show any unknown craft moving independently; they concluded the radar data <strong>\u201cfailed to confirm any other traffic\u201d<\/strong> near the 747<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=0242%20,at%207%20o%27clock%2C%208%20miles\"><em>[29]<\/em><\/a>. Skeptics cite this as evidence that <em>nothing solid<\/em> was actually there, and that the radar sightings were <strong>spurious artifacts<\/strong> rather than real objects.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pilot Misperception \u2013 Planets and Stars:<\/strong> The <em>visual<\/em> aspect of the encounter has been the target of most skeptical scrutiny. The leading theory proposed is that Captain Terauchi and crew may have been misidentifying bright celestial bodies (planets or stars) and\/or some unusual atmospheric lights. Klass was quick to point out that on the evening of November 17, 1986, the planet <strong>Jupiter<\/strong> was extremely bright in the southern sky \u2013 and in fact <strong>\u201cprecisely where the pilot reported that he saw the UFO.\u201d<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20221122233407\/https:\/apnews.com\/article\/275967ae96c4e21dad2fb5eda04bcb37#:~:text=Philip%20J,that%20he%20saw%20the%20UFO\"><em>[73]<\/em><\/a> Jupiter would have been low on the horizon (about 10\u00b0 above at that time<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20221122233407\/https:\/apnews.com\/article\/275967ae96c4e21dad2fb5eda04bcb37#:~:text=ADVERTISEMENT\"><em>[74]<\/em><\/a>), but from the pilot\u2019s perspective it might have appeared roughly level with the aircraft. Additionally, <strong>Mars<\/strong> was also in the vicinity (just below Jupiter), which Klass suggested could explain Terauchi\u2019s initial report of <em>two<\/em> distant lights<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20221122233407\/https:\/apnews.com\/article\/275967ae96c4e21dad2fb5eda04bcb37#:~:text=pilot%20claimed%20to%20have%20seen,that%20he%20saw%20the%20UFO\"><em>[75]<\/em><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20221122233407\/https:\/apnews.com\/article\/275967ae96c4e21dad2fb5eda04bcb37#:~:text=Mars%20was%20just%20below%20and,saw%20two%20lights%2C%20Klass%20said\"><em>[76]<\/em><\/a>. Could the \u201cmothership\u201d have simply been Jupiter? Klass argued that it\u2019s not unheard of for even experienced pilots to mistake bright stars or planets for a UFO, especially when fatigued or if the object appears to \u201cfollow\u201d their movements. In this case, the JAL crew did describe one light trailing them at a constant bearing \u2013 which is exactly how a bright celestial object <em>would<\/em> appear if the plane changes course (the light source would seem to maintain position). Supporting this, the FAA\u2019s public summary noted a discrepancy: Terauchi told controllers during the flight that the object <strong>vanished when he completed the 360\u00b0 turn<\/strong>, but in later interviews he claimed the object had <em>stayed with him<\/em> through the turn<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20221122233407\/https:\/apnews.com\/article\/275967ae96c4e21dad2fb5eda04bcb37#:~:text=Klass%2C%20an%20editor%20with%20the,flight%20controllers%20at%20the%20time\"><em>[77]<\/em><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20221122233407\/https:\/apnews.com\/article\/275967ae96c4e21dad2fb5eda04bcb37#:~:text=Paul%20Steucke%2C%20a%20spokesman%20for,with%20him%20as%20he%20turned\"><em>[78]<\/em><\/a>. If the real stimulus had been Jupiter, initially he might not have seen it after turning (blocked by the plane\u2019s fuselage or glare) but later, memory and assumption filled in that it \u201cremained.\u201d Skeptics also emphasize that the two other aircraft crews <strong>saw nothing<\/strong> \u2013 United 69 and the USAF tanker scanned the sky and reported no unusual lights<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20221122233407\/https:\/apnews.com\/article\/275967ae96c4e21dad2fb5eda04bcb37#:~:text=celestial%20body%20for%20a%20UFO%2C,be%20the%20last%2C%E2%80%B3%20Klass%20said\"><em>[79]<\/em><\/a>. This suggests that possibly the JAL crew\u2019s <em>eyes were playing tricks on them<\/em> or that they were observing something not actually \u201cout there.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>Terauchi\u2019s UFO History and Psychology:<\/strong> Another point often raised is Captain Terauchi\u2019s predisposition. During the investigation it came out that Terauchi had, on at least two occasions prior, reported seeing UFOs while flying<a href=\"https:\/\/centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/1987\/07\/22165315\/p04.pdf#:~:text=The%20FAA%20data%20package%20reveals,Terauchi%20often%20used%20the%20term\"><em>[80]<\/em><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/thedebrief.org\/what-really-happened-to-japan-airlines-flight-1628-in-1986\/#:~:text=take%20a%20picture%20of%20the,objects%20with%20his%20camera\"><em>[81]<\/em><\/a>. Klass labeled him a <strong>\u201cUFO repeater\u201d<\/strong> \u2013 a pilot who has a track record of UFO sightings, which many UFO researchers themselves consider a red flag. The reasoning is that someone who strongly believes in or expects UFOs might interpret ambiguous sights as UFOs more readily than others. Terauchi was also quite outspoken about his belief that what he saw was extraterrestrial. He even mused about the \u201cspaceships\u201d hiding intentionally and hoped for a meeting with \u201cthem\u201d one day<a href=\"https:\/\/centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/1987\/07\/22165315\/p04.pdf#:~:text=The%20JAL%20pilot%20is%20convinced,I%20think%20they%20did\"><em>[39]<\/em><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/1987\/07\/22165315\/p04.pdf#:~:text=not%20want%20to%20be%20seen.,time%20but%20has%20since%20been\"><em>[38]<\/em><\/a>. To skeptics, this indicates a possible <strong>bias or anticipation<\/strong> on the captain\u2019s part \u2013 essentially, that he <em>wanted<\/em> to see a UFO and thus, when confronted with perplexing lights, his imagination filled in details of a giant spaceship. Robert Sheaffer, another noted skeptic, argued that Terauchi was <strong>not an entirely objective observer<\/strong>; he may have embellished or misremembered details, and his crew (being junior) might have been influenced by his interpretation<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Japan_Air_Lines_Cargo_Flight_1628#:~:text=also%20claimed%20that%20,5\"><em>[82]<\/em><\/a>. Indeed, when the three crew members were interviewed months later, there were inconsistencies in their recollections (e.g. how large the object was, exactly when it disappeared, etc.)<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Japan_Air_Lines_Cargo_Flight_1628#:~:text=According%20to%20Klass%2C%20the%20pilot,%5B%204\"><em>[83]<\/em><\/a>. While such inconsistencies are normal under stress, skeptics use them to suggest the event was <strong>less clear-cut<\/strong> than initially portrayed.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Alternative Explanations:<\/strong> Some have proposed that <strong>ice crystals or atmospheric optics<\/strong> could account for the lights. For instance, if there were thin clouds of ice crystals, bright stars or planets might appear to have halos or could even reflect lights from the ground. There was also the fact that the 747 was flying toward Fairbanks with a <strong>full moon<\/strong> rising behind \u2013 perhaps light conditions played tricks on depth perception. Another idea is that the crew could have seen the <strong>Aurora Borealis<\/strong>, which is common in Alaska. However, their descriptions of distinct craft with lights don\u2019t match auroral displays well (and the FAA logs don\u2019t note aurora that evening). Finally, could it have been some <strong>secret military aircraft or test<\/strong>? Skeptics usually doubt that, because nothing known (even experimental) would be as large as described or behave in that way in 1986. And if it were a military stealth or espionage craft, it seems unlikely it would put on such a light show around a civilian airliner.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In 1987, Philip Klass published his analysis in <em>Skeptical Inquirer<\/em> magazine, concluding that <strong>the case had a prosaic explanation<\/strong>. He leaned towards the Jupiter\/stellar misidentification theory coupled with radar quirks and possibly the <em>\u201cpsyche of a UFO-inclined pilot.\u201d<\/em> More recently, in 2020, researcher Brian Dunning reviewed all available evidence and came to a blunt conclusion: <em>\u201cThere was nothing extraordinary or unusual on that evening\u2026 the Japan Air Lines Alaska UFO event turns out to have been just another unevidenced aerial anecdote.\u201d<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230524025304\/https:\/skeptoid.com\/episodes\/4753#:~:text=primary,just%20another%20unevidenced%20aerial%20anecdote\"><em>[84]<\/em><\/a>. In other words, without hard proof, it\u2019s one more story of lights in the sky \u2013 impressive initially, but not supported by tangible corroboration.<\/p>\n<p>It should be noted that <strong>not all experts agree with the hardcore skeptical view<\/strong>. Some radar analysts (including Dr. Bruce Maccabee) have argued that the radar data <em>does<\/em> show an unknown target at times, not explainable as mere split images<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newindianexpress.com\/opinions\/2016\/Nov\/09\/pilots-were-not-encouraged-to-discuss-ufos-with-media-1536454.html#:~:text=The%20Federal%20Aviation%20Administration%20,two%20TRUFOS%20%E2%80%94%20True%20UFOs\"><em>[85]<\/em><\/a>. And the JAL crew obviously refutes the idea they were misidentifying planets \u2013 they insist the objects moved with purposeful motion, in ways no planet would. Nonetheless, the skeptical explanations present a plausible scenario: a combination of optical illusion and instrumentation quirks leading to a <em>false alarm<\/em>. So far, no definitive refutation of those mundane explanations has been published in a scientific forum. The debate, therefore, continues: believers see a solid UFO encounter with corroborating data, skeptics see an over-hyped \u201cnothing-burger\u201d that was later <strong>debunked as misperception<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>Unresolved Questions<\/h2>\n<p>Even decades later, the JAL 1628 incident leaves several key questions <strong>unanswered<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>What exactly were the objects<\/strong> that the crew saw? If they were not conventional aircraft or astronomical objects, what could account for the structured shapes, maneuvering, and intense lights described?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why were there no other visual confirmations?<\/strong> Despite the JAL pilots\u2019 clear sighting, neither the nearby United Airlines crew nor the USAF crew saw the UFO. Was the phenomenon somehow only apparent to JAL 1628\u2019s crew (and on radar) but invisible to others?<\/li>\n<li><strong>How could such a large object appear and disappear so suddenly?<\/strong> The \u201cmothership\u201d was reported to be enormous, yet it vanished from radar and view in an instant. If it was a physical craft, where did it go so quickly?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Did Captain Terauchi\u2019s prior UFO experiences influence this encounter?<\/strong> Terauchi had reported UFOs before. Does this mean he was simply more attuned to noticing unusual things, or could it indicate a bias that colored his perception on this flight?<\/li>\n<li><strong>What do the radar anomalies truly represent?<\/strong> Were the radar contacts purely artifacts (split images\/clutter), or did the radar momentarily capture a real second object? The truth of the radar data is central to validating or refuting the case.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These and other questions ensure that Flight 1628\u2019s encounter remains a subject of lively discussion rather than a closed case. As of today, <strong>no single \u201cprosaic\u201d explanation has definitively accounted for all aspects<\/strong> of the incident \u2013 but neither is there concrete proof of an extraordinary craft. The JAL 1628 mystery thus embodies the classic \u201cUFO enigma\u201d: intriguing, well-documented, yet ultimately unresolved.<\/p>\n<h2>Impact and Legacy<\/h2>\n<p>The Japan Air Lines 1628 encounter has earned a prominent place in UFO lore and continues to be cited as one of the <strong>most compelling pilot-UFO sightings<\/strong> on record. In UFO research circles, it is often highlighted for its combination of eyewitness testimony and instrumented evidence. The case has been featured in numerous television documentaries, books, and articles. For example, it was profiled on <em>Unsolved Mysteries<\/em> and the History Channel\u2019s <em>\u201cBlack Box UFOs,\u201d<\/em> and it appears in many \u201cTop UFO Cases\u201d lists<a href=\"https:\/\/thedebrief.org\/what-really-happened-to-japan-airlines-flight-1628-in-1986\/#:~:text=to%20become%20the%20stuff%20of,tower%20chatter%20with%20the%20plane\"><em>[86]<\/em><\/a>. As journalist Jazz Shaw noted, <em>\u201canyone with even a moderate interest in the UFO topic has likely heard of the incident,\u201d<\/em> which has become <em>\u201cthe stuff of legends.\u201d<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/thedebrief.org\/what-really-happened-to-japan-airlines-flight-1628-in-1986\/#:~:text=The%20story%20told%20by%20Captain%C2%A0,they%20were%20interviewed%20during%20the\"><em>[87]<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p>One reason for this enduring fame is that the incident forced authorities to grapple (albeit briefly) with the UFO question. The FAA\u2019s handling of the case \u2013 collecting data, then ultimately declaring \u201cwe can\u2019t explain it\u201d \u2013 is frequently pointed to as an example of bureaucratic reluctance to engage with UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena). In later years, John Callahan\u2019s dramatic claims of a CIA cover-up at the 1987 meeting added a layer of conspiracy intrigue, though the core data did end up public. The case is sometimes brought up in calls for more serious official study of UFOs impacting aviation.<\/p>\n<p>The JAL 1628 encounter also had a <strong>cautionary legacy for pilots<\/strong>. Captain Terauchi\u2019s temporary grounding by JAL sent a message that openly reporting a UFO could jeopardize one\u2019s career<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newindianexpress.com\/opinions\/2016\/Nov\/09\/pilots-were-not-encouraged-to-discuss-ufos-with-media-1536454.html#:~:text=In%20Dec%201986%2C%20Captain%20Terauchi,Keep%20your\"><em>[63]<\/em><\/a>. This, among other cases, has been cited in discussions about removing the stigma for pilots to report unexplained sightings. In recent years, with renewed attention to UAP by governments, the Flight 1628 case has been revisited as a well-documented historical example of a UAP encounter in commercial aviation.<\/p>\n<p>Within the UFO researcher community, the case spurred deeper analysis of radar data and pilot testimony. Renowned optical physicist and UFO investigator <strong>Dr. Bruce Maccabee<\/strong> conducted an in-depth study of the FAA materials. Maccabee concluded that the multiple-witness sighting and radar contacts <strong>could not be easily dismissed<\/strong> as misperception or error<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newindianexpress.com\/opinions\/2016\/Nov\/09\/pilots-were-not-encouraged-to-discuss-ufos-with-media-1536454.html#:~:text=The%20Federal%20Aviation%20Administration%20,two%20TRUFOS%20%E2%80%94%20True%20UFOs\"><em>[85]<\/em><\/a>. He noted that the crew\u2019s descriptions of the clustered lights were very specific and that the radar data, while not definitive, did show something anomalous. Maccabee ultimately opined that JAL 1628 was accompanied for part of its flight by at least two \u201c<strong>true UFOs<\/strong>\u201d \u2013 meaning real, physical objects of unknown origin<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newindianexpress.com\/opinions\/2016\/Nov\/09\/pilots-were-not-encouraged-to-discuss-ufos-with-media-1536454.html#:~:text=confirmed%20by%20US%20Air%20Force,two%20TRUFOS%20%E2%80%94%20True%20UFOs\"><em>[88]<\/em><\/a>. His analysis gave weight to those in the UFO community who view the case as <em>evidence<\/em> of unconventional technology (or even extraterrestrial visitation).<\/p>\n<p>On the flip side, <strong>skeptical researchers<\/strong> also use JAL 1628 as a case study \u2013 of how a compelling UFO report can unravel under scrutiny. In 2014, skeptic Robert Sheaffer revisited the case in <em>Skeptical Inquirer<\/em>, emphasizing the inconsistencies in the crew\u2019s recollections and how the simplest explanation (Jupiter, stars, radar quirks) fits the data best<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Japan_Air_Lines_Cargo_Flight_1628#:~:text=The%20FAA%20released%20a%20data,in%20his\"><em>[89]<\/em><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Japan_Air_Lines_Cargo_Flight_1628#:~:text=According%20to%20astronomer%20and%20UFO,7\"><em>[90]<\/em><\/a>. Brian Dunning\u2019s 2020 podcast on the case likewise framed it as an example of an incident hyped as a \u201cclassic\u201d that, in his view, completely fell apart (he concluded it was essentially a non-event once mundane factors are considered)<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230524025304\/https:\/skeptoid.com\/episodes\/4753#:~:text=And%20at%20the%20end%20of,Captain\"><em>[91]<\/em><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230524025304\/https:\/skeptoid.com\/episodes\/4753#:~:text=Terauchi%20was%20undoubtedly%20a%20fine,just%20another%20unevidenced%20aerial%20anecdote\"><em>[92]<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In popular culture, the Flight 1628 encounter remains one of those fascinating aviation mysteries. It\u2019s not as famous as, say, Roswell or the Phoenix Lights, but within UFOlogy it\u2019s a reference point whenever discussing pilot sightings or radar-visual cases. The term \u201cmothership the size of an aircraft carrier\u201d coming from a respected airline captain still captures people\u2019s imagination. The case\u2019s legacy is also evident in how it\u2019s used in advocacy: proponents of more UFO transparency often mention that \u201ceven an FAA Division Chief and a 747 crew once dealt with a UFO\u201d when arguing that the topic deserves serious attention.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, on a personal level, Captain Terauchi eventually returned to flying for JAL and later retired quietly. In interviews years later, he stuck to his story, though he also mused that perhaps the times weren\u2019t ready for the truth of what he saw. In a way, JAL 1628\u2019s incident encapsulates the UFO issue\u2019s impact on individuals: Terauchi had an extraordinary experience, reported it dutifully, and found himself both vindicated (by evidence) and professionally penalized (by skepticism). His case has inspired other pilots to come forward (some privately, some publicly) with their own UFO accounts, helping build the case that such incidents are more common than acknowledged.<\/p>\n<p>Today, with renewed official interest in UAP by the Pentagon and other agencies, historical cases like JAL Flight 1628 are being looked at in a new light. It stands as an intriguing data point \u2013 an unsolved event at the intersection of aviation and the unknown. Whether one leans toward the skeptical explanation or the extraterrestrial, the <strong>Japan Air Lines 1628 encounter endures as a landmark case<\/strong>, reminding us of the mysteries that sometimes confront even the most routine of flights.<\/p>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>JAL Flight 1628\u2019s brush with the unknown on that November evening in 1986 remains a <strong>singular event in aviation history<\/strong>. Here was a case of an experienced crew, flying a routine cargo route, encountering something truly extraordinary \u2013 an array of brilliant, maneuvering lights and a gargantuan dark craft \u2013 in the middle of the sky. They responded exactly as trained: communicating with ATC, attempting evasive maneuvers, and documenting everything they could. The subsequent investigation provided a wealth of information but no satisfying answers. Decades later, we are left with a well-documented mystery: one that continues to intrigue, inspire, and perplex.<\/p>\n<p>For some, Flight 1628 is <strong>proof that there are things in our skies beyond current explanation<\/strong>, bolstered by radar and multiple witnesses. For others, it\u2019s an example of how easily human perception can be fooled and technology can glitch, even for top-notch pilots and controllers. The truth might lie somewhere in between, or it might remain forever out of reach. As it stands, the JAL 1628 incident underscores the importance of following up on UAP encounters with open-minded rigor. It also highlights the need for an environment where pilots can report such incidents without fear of ridicule or reprisal \u2013 because whatever the crew of JAL 1628 saw, it was <strong>real to them<\/strong> and had potential flight safety implications.<\/p>\n<p>In the end, the story of JAL Flight 1628 endures not because it proves aliens are real or because it was conclusively debunked \u2013 but because it <strong>asks us to grapple with the unknown<\/strong>. It invites us to take a closer look at our assumptions about what is and isn\u2019t possible in our skies. And until that fateful flight\u2019s mysteries are fully resolved (if ever), it will remain a touchstone case, prompting the aviation and scientific communities to keep an open mind about those rare, puzzling moments when the ordinary turns into the extraordinary at 35,000 feet.<\/p>\n<h2>Source List<\/h2>\n<p>[1] <strong>FAA Alaskan Region Internal Memos (Nov 1986 \u2013 Feb 1987):<\/strong> A collection of official FAA memoranda and correspondence regarding the \u201cUFO Sighting, JAL Flight #1628, 11-17-86.\u201d Includes the initial <em>Alert Report<\/em> summary by Franklin L. Cunningham (AAL-1) dated Nov. 18, 1986, which notes the crew\u2019s sighting of a large unknown aircraft with bright lights (no known traffic; intermittent radar returns; crew deemed professional)<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-025.pdf#:~:text=B747%2C%20FL350%20enroute%20to%20Tokyo,over%20350%20miles%20until%20object\"><em>[24]<\/em><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-025.pdf#:~:text=ADC%20radar%20,been%20coordinating%20with%20the%20military\"><em>[18]<\/em><\/a>. Also includes a Feb 1987 follow-up memo. <em>Source:<\/em> FAA FOIA Release 733667 (via The Black Vault) \u2013 <strong>JAL1628\/733667-001-025.pdf<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>[2] <strong>FAA Chronology of JAL 1628 Event \u2013 Quentin J. Gates (Anchorage ARTCC):<\/strong> A detailed chronological summary of the incident, prepared Dec 18, 1986. Lists each communication and radar observation between 5:19 PM and 5:53 PM AST. Confirms key events: e.g., crew reports of \u201ctraffic\u201d with white\/yellow strobes at 1 mile<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=All%20times%20listed%20are%20approximate,o%27clock%20position%20at%208%20miles\"><em>[8]<\/em><\/a>, object on JAL\u2019s radar at 8 nm<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=responded%20that%20they%20could%20only,in%20the%20vicinity%20of%20JL1628\"><em>[9]<\/em><\/a>, military radar picking up a primary target at 8 nm<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=0226%20,When\"><em>[10]<\/em><\/a>, pilot\u2019s remark of a \u201cquite big\u201d plane and ATC clearing deviations<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=0231%20,of%20Fairbanks%20and%20ZAN%20contacted\"><em>[13]<\/em><\/a>, the 360\u00b0 turn with UFO staying on port side<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-005.pdf#:~:text=Captain%20Terauchi%20said%20he%20was,approximately%2040%20nautical%20miles%20north\"><em>[15]<\/em><\/a>, United flight involvement, and the final remark that a review of radar data <strong>\u201cfailed to confirm any targets\u201d<\/strong> near JL1628<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=0242%20,at%207%20o%27clock%2C%208%20miles\"><em>[29]<\/em><\/a>. <em>Source:<\/em> FAA FOIA Release \u2013 <strong>JAL1628\/733667-001-012.pdf<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>[3] <strong>FAA Security Incident Reports \u2013 Interviews of JAL 1628 Crew (R. E. Mickle &amp; J. S. Derry):<\/strong> FAA Form 1600-32 reports documenting the agency\u2019s security agents debriefing Captain Terauchi and his crew on Nov 17, 1986 (immediately post-flight). These include <em>personal interview notes<\/em> and summaries of the crew\u2019s statements. For example, Agent Ronald Mickle\u2019s report recounts how the crew saw two sets of lights \u201cin front of the aircraft at a distance of ~7\u20138 nm\u201d for 10 minutes, then moving to the left side; the lights were described as <strong>\u201cyellow, amber and green\u201d<\/strong> with no red, arranged in two distinct clusters that behaved as if joined<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-005.pdf#:~:text=The%20three%20crewrren%20stated%20that,position%20relative%20to%20one%20another\"><em>[31]<\/em><\/a>. It also notes the object showed on the plane\u2019s radar at 7 miles ahead<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-005.pdf#:~:text=to%20the%20left%20side%20of,position%20relative%20to%20one%20another\"><em>[33]<\/em><\/a>. The crew\u2019s credibility is emphasized, and an addendum mentions Terauchi had prior UFO sightings<a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-005.pdf#:~:text=\"><em>[36]<\/em><\/a>. <em>Source:<\/em> FAA FOIA Release \u2013 <strong>JAL1628\/733667-001-005.pdf<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>[4] <strong>NICAP Case Summary: \u201cFantastic Flight of JAL 1628\u201d \u2013 Fran Ridge (NICAP.org):<\/strong> A comprehensive summary of the incident by the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena. Updated July 21, 2014, it compiles details from FAA records and researcher reports. Describes the flight conditions (clear night, setting sun and rising moon), the two phases of the encounter \u2013 the small, high-energy objects with \u201cglowing nozzles or thrusters\u201d that even lit up the cockpit and <em>heated<\/em> the captain\u2019s face<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nicap.org\/861117alaska_dir.htm#:~:text=glow%20from%20the%20setting%20sun,Traffic%20Control%20obliged%20and%20requested\"><em>[93]<\/em><\/a>, and the appearance of the huge Saturn-shaped \u201cmothership\u201d (estimated twice aircraft carrier size) that trailed the 747<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nicap.org\/861117alaska_dir.htm#:~:text=their%20bodies%20remained%20obscured%20by,ground%20and%20airborne%20radar%2C%20witnessed\"><em>[94]<\/em><\/a>. Confirms that the UFOs were tracked on both ground and airborne radar and that an FAA division chief (Paul Steucke) initially confirmed this to media<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nicap.org\/861117alaska_dir.htm#:~:text=a%20military%20craft%20sighted%20JAL,in%20August%20of%202006\"><em>[66]<\/em><\/a>. Also references subsequent analyses and includes links to audio and documents. <em>Source:<\/em> NICAP website \u2013 <strong>nicap.org\/861117alaska_dir.htm<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>[5] <strong>\u201cPlane Maneuvered to Avoid Object: Pilot Recounts Sighting Enormous UFO\u201d \u2013 UPI \/ <em>Los Angeles Times<\/em>, Jan. 1, 1987:<\/strong> A news article by United Press International, published in the <em>LA Times<\/em> (and other papers). It features Capt. Terauchi\u2019s first public statements. Key details: Terauchi described the UFO as so enormous that his 747 \u201cwas tiny compared to the mysterious object\u201d<a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-1987-01-01-mn-1922-story.html#:~:text=United%20Press%20International\"><em>[95]<\/em><\/a>. He is quoted saying the object was <em>\u201ca very big one \u2013 two times bigger than an aircraft carrier.\u201d<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-1987-01-01-mn-1922-story.html#:~:text=Glimpses%20in%20Silhouette\"><em>[2]<\/em><\/a> It mentions two smaller UFOs also were seen (which did not appear on radar), and that Terauchi received FAA permission to deviate altitude to avoid the UFO<a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-1987-01-01-mn-1922-story.html#:~:text=Advertisement\"><em>[12]<\/em><\/a>. FAA investigators are cited as finding the crew \u201cnormal, professional, rational (and having no drug or alcohol involvement)\u201d<a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-1987-01-01-mn-1922-story.html#:~:text=%E2%80%98Professional%E2%80%99%20Crew\"><em>[21]<\/em><\/a>. The article also notes Terauchi\u2019s lighthearted remark that perhaps the UFO was interested in the plane\u2019s French wine cargo<a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-1987-01-01-mn-1922-story.html#:~:text=Terauchi%20said%20the%20crew%20was,degree%20turn%2C%20he%20said\"><em>[35]<\/em><\/a>. <em>Source:<\/em> Los Angeles Times archives (1987).<\/p>\n<p>[6] <strong>Philip J. Klass \u2013 \u201cFAA Data Sheds New Light on JAL Pilot\u2019s UFO Report,\u201d <em>Skeptical Inquirer<\/em> Vol. 11 No. 4 (Summer 1987):<\/strong> An investigative article by renowned UFO skeptic Philip Klass. Based on the FAA\u2019s released data package, Klass offers a debunking perspective. He provides the radar analysis explaining the duplicate blips as an <em>\u201cuncorrected primary return\u201d<\/em> caused by radar timing issues<a href=\"https:\/\/centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/1987\/07\/22165315\/p04.pdf#:~:text=This%20analysis%20showed%20that%20the,can%20occur%20if%20the%20radar\"><em>[72]<\/em><\/a>. He highlights that Captain Terauchi had a history as a \u201cUFO repeater\u201d (multiple prior sightings) which raises a caution flag<a href=\"https:\/\/centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/1987\/07\/22165315\/p04.pdf#:~:text=The%20FAA%20data%20package%20reveals,Terauchi%20often%20used%20the%20term\"><em>[80]<\/em><\/a>. Klass also notes the inconsistencies between Terauchi\u2019s in-flight statements and later interviews (specifically whether the UFO stayed through the turn) as evidence of possible misperception<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20221122233407\/https:\/apnews.com\/article\/275967ae96c4e21dad2fb5eda04bcb37#:~:text=Klass%2C%20an%20editor%20with%20the,flight%20controllers%20at%20the%20time\"><em>[77]<\/em><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20221122233407\/https:\/apnews.com\/article\/275967ae96c4e21dad2fb5eda04bcb37#:~:text=Paul%20Steucke%2C%20a%20spokesman%20for,with%20him%20as%20he%20turned\"><em>[78]<\/em><\/a>. The article points out that Jupiter and Mars were in the exact area of the sky of the sighting, and quotes Klass saying it\u2019s not the first time an experienced pilot has mistaken a bright planet for a UFO<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20221122233407\/https:\/apnews.com\/article\/275967ae96c4e21dad2fb5eda04bcb37#:~:text=Philip%20J,that%20he%20saw%20the%20UFO\"><em>[73]<\/em><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20221122233407\/https:\/apnews.com\/article\/275967ae96c4e21dad2fb5eda04bcb37#:~:text=%E2%80%B3Jupiter%20was%20only%2010%20degrees,as%20bright%2C%20the%20report%20said\"><em>[96]<\/em><\/a>. Klass concludes that a prosaic explanation (stars\/planets + radar quirks + psychological factors) is most likely. <em>Source:<\/em> Reprint via The Black Vault FOIA archive \u2013 <strong>JAL1628\/733667-001-003.pdf<\/strong> (original in <em>Skeptical Inquirer<\/em>, 1987).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nicap.org\/861117alaska_dir.htm#:~:text=departed%20before%20a%20third%2C%20much,were%20presented%20on%20the%20History\"><em>[1]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nicap.org\/861117alaska_dir.htm#:~:text=Nov,When%20closest%2C%20the%20aircraft%27s%20cabin\"><em>[5]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nicap.org\/861117alaska_dir.htm#:~:text=departed%20before%20a%20third%2C%20much,Audiotapes\"><em>[20]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nicap.org\/861117alaska_dir.htm#:~:text=glow%20from%20the%20setting%20sun,them%2C%20causing%20the%20pilots%20to\"><em>[43]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nicap.org\/861117alaska_dir.htm#:~:text=abruptly%20rose%20from%20below%20and,Traffic%20Control%20obliged%20and%20requested\"><em>[45]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nicap.org\/861117alaska_dir.htm#:~:text=a%20military%20craft%20sighted%20JAL,in%20August%20of%202006\"><em>[66]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nicap.org\/861117alaska_dir.htm#:~:text=glow%20from%20the%20setting%20sun,Traffic%20Control%20obliged%20and%20requested\"><em>[93]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nicap.org\/861117alaska_dir.htm#:~:text=their%20bodies%20remained%20obscured%20by,ground%20and%20airborne%20radar%2C%20witnessed\"><em>[94]<\/em><\/a> UFO Report<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nicap.org\/861117alaska_dir.htm\"><em>http:\/\/www.nicap.org\/861117alaska_dir.htm<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-1987-01-01-mn-1922-story.html#:~:text=Glimpses%20in%20Silhouette\"><em>[2]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-1987-01-01-mn-1922-story.html#:~:text=Advertisement\"><em>[12]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-1987-01-01-mn-1922-story.html#:~:text=%E2%80%98Professional%E2%80%99%20Crew\"><em>[21]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-1987-01-01-mn-1922-story.html#:~:text=Terauchi%20said%20the%20crew%20was,degree%20turn%2C%20he%20said\"><em>[35]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-1987-01-01-mn-1922-story.html#:~:text=Advertisement\"><em>[52]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-1987-01-01-mn-1922-story.html#:~:text=Terauchi%2C%20a%20pilot%20for%2029,%E2%80%9D\"><em>[56]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-1987-01-01-mn-1922-story.html#:~:text=United%20Press%20International\"><em>[58]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-1987-01-01-mn-1922-story.html#:~:text=Glimpses%20in%20Silhouette\"><em>[59]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-1987-01-01-mn-1922-story.html#:~:text=United%20Press%20International\"><em>[95]<\/em><\/a> Plane Maneuvered to Avoid Object : Pilot Recounts Sighting Enormous UFO &#8211; Los Angeles Times<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-1987-01-01-mn-1922-story.html\"><em>https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-1987-01-01-mn-1922-story.html<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-025.pdf#:~:text=Administrator%20NOV,%28Subsequent%20regeneration%20of\"><em>[3]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-025.pdf#:~:text=ADC%20radar%20,been%20coordinating%20with%20the%20military\"><em>[18]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-025.pdf#:~:text=B747%2C%20FL350%20enroute%20to%20Tokyo,over%20350%20miles%20until%20object\"><em>[24]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-025.pdf#:~:text=red%201%20ights,informing%20media%20that%20it%20was\"><em>[25]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-025.pdf#:~:text=both%20with%20negative%20reports,been%20coordinating%20with%20the%20military\"><em>[26]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-025.pdf#:~:text=using%20onboard%20color%20radar,Crew\"><em>[27]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-025.pdf#:~:text=determined%20to%20be%20professional%2C%20rational,inquiry%20by%20Kyodo%20News%20Service\"><em>[61]<\/em><\/a> documents.theblackvault.com<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-025.pdf\"><em>https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-025.pdf<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newindianexpress.com\/opinions\/2016\/Nov\/09\/pilots-were-not-encouraged-to-discuss-ufos-with-media-1536454.html#:~:text=According%20to%20Captain%20Terauchi%20and,and%20the%20objects%20continued%20to\"><em>[4]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newindianexpress.com\/opinions\/2016\/Nov\/09\/pilots-were-not-encouraged-to-discuss-ufos-with-media-1536454.html#:~:text=follow%20him\"><em>[46]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newindianexpress.com\/opinions\/2016\/Nov\/09\/pilots-were-not-encouraged-to-discuss-ufos-with-media-1536454.html#:~:text=In%20Dec%201986%2C%20Captain%20Terauchi,Keep%20your\"><em>[63]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newindianexpress.com\/opinions\/2016\/Nov\/09\/pilots-were-not-encouraged-to-discuss-ufos-with-media-1536454.html#:~:text=The%20Federal%20Aviation%20Administration%20,two%20TRUFOS%20%E2%80%94%20True%20UFOs\"><em>[85]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newindianexpress.com\/opinions\/2016\/Nov\/09\/pilots-were-not-encouraged-to-discuss-ufos-with-media-1536454.html#:~:text=confirmed%20by%20US%20Air%20Force,two%20TRUFOS%20%E2%80%94%20True%20UFOs\"><em>[88]<\/em><\/a> Pilots were not encouraged to discuss UFOs with media<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newindianexpress.com\/opinions\/2016\/Nov\/09\/pilots-were-not-encouraged-to-discuss-ufos-with-media-1536454.html\"><em>https:\/\/www.newindianexpress.com\/opinions\/2016\/Nov\/09\/pilots-were-not-encouraged-to-discuss-ufos-with-media-1536454.html<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=DEC%20l%208%20198b%20The,see%20white%20and%20yellow%20strobes\"><em>[6]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=0231%20,Controller%20advised%20they%20did%20not\"><em>[7]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=All%20times%20listed%20are%20approximate,o%27clock%20position%20at%208%20miles\"><em>[8]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=responded%20that%20they%20could%20only,in%20the%20vicinity%20of%20JL1628\"><em>[9]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=0226%20,When\"><em>[10]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=of%20JL1628,in%20formation\"><em>[11]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=0231%20,of%20Fairbanks%20and%20ZAN%20contacted\"><em>[13]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=descending%20%22in%20formation%22.%200235%20,Controller%20advised%20they%20did%20not\"><em>[14]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=0236%20,were%20no%20longer%20tracking%20it\"><em>[16]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=%3A%C2%B7watching%20this,at%207%20o%27clock%2C%208%20miles\"><em>[17]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=0244%20,at%207%20o%27clock%2C%208%20miles\"><em>[19]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=0236%20,was%20now%20at%209%20o%27clock\"><em>[22]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=0219%20,radar%20returns%20near%20the%20position\"><em>[28]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf#:~:text=0242%20,at%207%20o%27clock%2C%208%20miles\"><em>[29]<\/em><\/a> documents.theblackvault.com<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf\"><em>https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-012.pdf<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-005.pdf#:~:text=Captain%20Terauchi%20said%20he%20was,approximately%2040%20nautical%20miles%20north\"><em>[15]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-005.pdf#:~:text=On%20Novanber%2017%2C%20I%20responded,the%20JAL%20Operations%20Manager%20at\"><em>[30]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-005.pdf#:~:text=The%20three%20crewrren%20stated%20that,position%20relative%20to%20one%20another\"><em>[31]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-005.pdf#:~:text=but%20rana,The\"><em>[32]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-005.pdf#:~:text=to%20the%20left%20side%20of,position%20relative%20to%20one%20another\"><em>[33]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-005.pdf#:~:text=they%20did%20shcM%20an%20object,inred%20that%20they%20also%20had\"><em>[34]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-005.pdf#:~:text=\"><em>[36]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-005.pdf#:~:text=their%20speed%20as%200,N%2C%20I%20called%20Captain\"><em>[53]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-005.pdf#:~:text=of%20Talkeetna%2C%20while%20continuing%20on,%C2%B7%20%C2%B7\"><em>[54]<\/em><\/a> documents.theblackvault.com<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-005.pdf\"><em>https:\/\/documents.theblackvault.com\/documents\/ufos\/jal1628\/733667-001-005.pdf<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thedebrief.org\/what-really-happened-to-japan-airlines-flight-1628-in-1986\/#:~:text=inquiries%20as%20all%20the%20rest\"><em>[23]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/thedebrief.org\/what-really-happened-to-japan-airlines-flight-1628-in-1986\/#:~:text=WHAT%20WAS%20IT%20THE%20PILOT,CLAIMED%20TO%20HAVE%20SEEN\"><em>[55]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/thedebrief.org\/what-really-happened-to-japan-airlines-flight-1628-in-1986\/#:~:text=take%20a%20picture%20of%20the,objects%20with%20his%20camera\"><em>[81]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/thedebrief.org\/what-really-happened-to-japan-airlines-flight-1628-in-1986\/#:~:text=to%20become%20the%20stuff%20of,tower%20chatter%20with%20the%20plane\"><em>[86]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/thedebrief.org\/what-really-happened-to-japan-airlines-flight-1628-in-1986\/#:~:text=The%20story%20told%20by%20Captain%C2%A0,they%20were%20interviewed%20during%20the\"><em>[87]<\/em><\/a> What Really Happened to Japan Airlines Flight 1628 in 1986? &#8211; The Debrief<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thedebrief.org\/what-really-happened-to-japan-airlines-flight-1628-in-1986\/\"><em>https:\/\/thedebrief.org\/what-really-happened-to-japan-airlines-flight-1628-in-1986\/<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/1987\/07\/22165315\/p04.pdf#:~:text=During%20his%20January%202%20interview,we%20humans%20will%20meet%20them\"><em>[37]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/1987\/07\/22165315\/p04.pdf#:~:text=not%20want%20to%20be%20seen.,time%20but%20has%20since%20been\"><em>[38]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/1987\/07\/22165315\/p04.pdf#:~:text=The%20JAL%20pilot%20is%20convinced,I%20think%20they%20did\"><em>[39]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/1987\/07\/22165315\/p04.pdf#:~:text=,data%20package%2C%20resembled%20Terauchi%27s%20description\"><em>[40]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/1987\/07\/22165315\/p04.pdf#:~:text=later,aircraft%20in%20the%20area%20that\"><em>[41]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/1987\/07\/22165315\/p04.pdf#:~:text=January,affairs%20officer%2C%20Paul%20Steucke%2C%20noted\"><em>[67]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/1987\/07\/22165315\/p04.pdf#:~:text=incident%2C%20the%20FAA%27s%20Alaskan%20Region,affairs%20officer%2C%20Paul%20Steucke%2C%20noted\"><em>[71]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/1987\/07\/22165315\/p04.pdf#:~:text=This%20analysis%20showed%20that%20the,can%20occur%20if%20the%20radar\"><em>[72]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/1987\/07\/22165315\/p04.pdf#:~:text=The%20FAA%20data%20package%20reveals,Terauchi%20often%20used%20the%20term\"><em>[80]<\/em><\/a> centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/1987\/07\/22165315\/p04.pdf\"><em>https:\/\/centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/1987\/07\/22165315\/p04.pdf<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanghostwalks.com\/haunted-alaskan-skies-1986-s-japan-airlines-flight-1628-ufo-encounter#:~:text=First%20Officer%20Takanori%20Tamefuji%20and,very%20close%E2%80%9D%20to%20his%20aircraft\"><em>[42]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanghostwalks.com\/haunted-alaskan-skies-1986-s-japan-airlines-flight-1628-ufo-encounter#:~:text=What%20unfolded%20next%20was%20a,Terauchi%20later%20mused\"><em>[44]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanghostwalks.com\/haunted-alaskan-skies-1986-s-japan-airlines-flight-1628-ufo-encounter#:~:text=maneuvered%20around%20his%20jumbo%20jet,\"><em>[47]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanghostwalks.com\/haunted-alaskan-skies-1986-s-japan-airlines-flight-1628-ufo-encounter#:~:text=appeared%20directly%20in%20front%20of,moving%20in%20one%20close%20formation%E2%80%9D\"><em>[48]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanghostwalks.com\/haunted-alaskan-skies-1986-s-japan-airlines-flight-1628-ufo-encounter#:~:text=Then%20came%20the%20most%20dramatic,city%20block%20in%20the%20sky\"><em>[49]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanghostwalks.com\/haunted-alaskan-skies-1986-s-japan-airlines-flight-1628-ufo-encounter#:~:text=to%20a%20surreal%2C%20flying%20walnut,city%20block%20in%20the%20sky\"><em>[50]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanghostwalks.com\/haunted-alaskan-skies-1986-s-japan-airlines-flight-1628-ufo-encounter#:~:text=The%20%E2%80%9Cmothership%E2%80%9D%20positioned%20itself%20in,intense%20lights%20moving%20in%20unison\"><em>[51]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanghostwalks.com\/haunted-alaskan-skies-1986-s-japan-airlines-flight-1628-ufo-encounter#:~:text=the%20plane%E2%80%99s%20own%20radar%2C%20FAA,%E2%80%9D\"><em>[62]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanghostwalks.com\/haunted-alaskan-skies-1986-s-japan-airlines-flight-1628-ufo-encounter#:~:text=The%C2%A0%20radar%20evidence%2C%20however%2C%20soon,of%20JAL1628%E2%80%99s%20own%20radar%20return\"><em>[68]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanghostwalks.com\/haunted-alaskan-skies-1986-s-japan-airlines-flight-1628-ufo-encounter#:~:text=Could%20that%20explain%20the%20mysterious,became%3A%20Radar%20found%20nothing%20solid\"><em>[69]<\/em><\/a>\u00a0 Haunted Skies: 1986&#8217;s Japan Airlines Flight 1628 UFO Encounter<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanghostwalks.com\/haunted-alaskan-skies-1986-s-japan-airlines-flight-1628-ufo-encounter\"><em>https:\/\/www.americanghostwalks.com\/haunted-alaskan-skies-1986-s-japan-airlines-flight-1628-ufo-encounter<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Japan_Air_Lines_Cargo_Flight_1628#:~:text=Editor%20of%20Aviation%20Week%20and,5\"><em>[57]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Japan_Air_Lines_Cargo_Flight_1628#:~:text=also%20claimed%20that%20,5\"><em>[82]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Japan_Air_Lines_Cargo_Flight_1628#:~:text=According%20to%20Klass%2C%20the%20pilot,%5B%204\"><em>[83]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Japan_Air_Lines_Cargo_Flight_1628#:~:text=The%20FAA%20released%20a%20data,in%20his\"><em>[89]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Japan_Air_Lines_Cargo_Flight_1628#:~:text=According%20to%20astronomer%20and%20UFO,7\"><em>[90]<\/em><\/a> Japan Air Lines Cargo Flight 1628 &#8211; Wikipedia<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Japan_Air_Lines_Cargo_Flight_1628\"><em>https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Japan_Air_Lines_Cargo_Flight_1628<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/archive\/politics\/1987\/01\/02\/ufo-sighting-confirmed-by-faa-air-force-radar\/c186c4b7-54ed-459e-b94d-eeeff7b3322e\/#:~:text=UFO%20SIGHTING%20CONFIRMED%20BY%20FAA%2C,Summary\"><em>[60]<\/em><\/a> UFO SIGHTING CONFIRMED BY FAA, AIR FORCE RADAR<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/archive\/politics\/1987\/01\/02\/ufo-sighting-confirmed-by-faa-air-force-radar\/c186c4b7-54ed-459e-b94d-eeeff7b3322e\/\"><em>https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/archive\/politics\/1987\/01\/02\/ufo-sighting-confirmed-by-faa-air-force-radar\/c186c4b7-54ed-459e-b94d-eeeff7b3322e\/<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Archives\/1987\/01\/03\/FAA-reopens-UFO-probe\/9716536648400\/#:~:text=,Audio%20Coming%20Soon\"><em>[64]<\/em><\/a> FAA reopens UFO probe &#8211; UPI Archives<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Archives\/1987\/01\/03\/FAA-reopens-UFO-probe\/9716536648400\/\"><em>https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Archives\/1987\/01\/03\/FAA-reopens-UFO-probe\/9716536648400\/<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Archives\/1987\/03\/06\/Final-FAA-report-cant-explain-UFO-sighting\/4541542005200\/#:~:text=Final%20FAA%20report%20can%27t%20explain,FAA%20report%20on%20the\"><em>[65]<\/em><\/a> Final FAA report can&#8217;t explain UFO sighting &#8211; UPI Archives<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Archives\/1987\/03\/06\/Final-FAA-report-cant-explain-UFO-sighting\/4541542005200\/\"><em>https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Archives\/1987\/03\/06\/Final-FAA-report-cant-explain-UFO-sighting\/4541542005200\/<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230524025304\/https:\/skeptoid.com\/episodes\/4753#:~:text=The%20story%20is%20also%20notable,of%20the%20CIA%20men%20said\"><em>[70]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230524025304\/https:\/skeptoid.com\/episodes\/4753#:~:text=primary,just%20another%20unevidenced%20aerial%20anecdote\"><em>[84]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230524025304\/https:\/skeptoid.com\/episodes\/4753#:~:text=And%20at%20the%20end%20of,Captain\"><em>[91]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230524025304\/https:\/skeptoid.com\/episodes\/4753#:~:text=Terauchi%20was%20undoubtedly%20a%20fine,just%20another%20unevidenced%20aerial%20anecdote\"><em>[92]<\/em><\/a>\u00a0 The Japan Air Lines Alaska UFO<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230524025304\/https:\/skeptoid.com\/episodes\/4753\"><em>https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230524025304\/https:\/\/skeptoid.com\/episodes\/4753<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20221122233407\/https:\/apnews.com\/article\/275967ae96c4e21dad2fb5eda04bcb37#:~:text=Philip%20J,that%20he%20saw%20the%20UFO\"><em>[73]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20221122233407\/https:\/apnews.com\/article\/275967ae96c4e21dad2fb5eda04bcb37#:~:text=ADVERTISEMENT\"><em>[74]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20221122233407\/https:\/apnews.com\/article\/275967ae96c4e21dad2fb5eda04bcb37#:~:text=pilot%20claimed%20to%20have%20seen,that%20he%20saw%20the%20UFO\"><em>[75]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20221122233407\/https:\/apnews.com\/article\/275967ae96c4e21dad2fb5eda04bcb37#:~:text=Mars%20was%20just%20below%20and,saw%20two%20lights%2C%20Klass%20said\"><em>[76]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20221122233407\/https:\/apnews.com\/article\/275967ae96c4e21dad2fb5eda04bcb37#:~:text=Klass%2C%20an%20editor%20with%20the,flight%20controllers%20at%20the%20time\"><em>[77]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20221122233407\/https:\/apnews.com\/article\/275967ae96c4e21dad2fb5eda04bcb37#:~:text=Paul%20Steucke%2C%20a%20spokesman%20for,with%20him%20as%20he%20turned\"><em>[78]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20221122233407\/https:\/apnews.com\/article\/275967ae96c4e21dad2fb5eda04bcb37#:~:text=celestial%20body%20for%20a%20UFO%2C,be%20the%20last%2C%E2%80%B3%20Klass%20said\"><em>[79]<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20221122233407\/https:\/apnews.com\/article\/275967ae96c4e21dad2fb5eda04bcb37#:~:text=%E2%80%B3Jupiter%20was%20only%2010%20degrees,as%20bright%2C%20the%20report%20said\"><em>[96]<\/em><\/a> Scientists Explain Alleged UFO Sighting by Japanese Pilot over Alaska | AP News<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20221122233407\/https:\/apnews.com\/article\/275967ae96c4e21dad2fb5eda04bcb37\"><em>https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20221122233407\/https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/275967ae96c4e21dad2fb5eda04bcb37<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<\/nav>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<div style=\"max-width: 800px; margin: 40px auto; padding: 20px; background-color: #f9f9f9; border-left: 5px solid #000; box-shadow: 0 0 10px rgba(0,0,0,0.1); font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 1.6;\">\n<h3 style=\"margin-top: 0; color: #111;\"><span style=\"font-size: 1.2em;\">\ud83e\udde0<\/span> About <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theblackvault.com\/casefiles\/category\/the-vault-files\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Vault Files<\/a><\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1em;\"><strong>The Vault Files<\/strong> are a new, and experimental, evolution in investigative research created and published by The Black Vault. They are meticulously crafted using a powerful fusion of declassified government records (via FOIA), verified eyewitness testimony, physical and photographic evidence, open-source intelligence (OSINT), and a uniquely trained AI framework developed exclusively for this project.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1em;\">Each case is reconstructed from the ground up, cross-referencing documentation and sources across decades, often involving thousands of pages and countless hours of review. The result: a definitive, evidence-based deep dive that offers both clarity and context\u2014paired with visuals, timelines, and original government material to make complex events accessible and verifiable.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1em;\"><em>No speculation. No hype. Just facts\u2014delivered with the precision and depth The Black Vault strives to be known for.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 0;\">\ud83d\udd0d <strong>Spotted an error or have additional insight?<\/strong><br \/>\nDespite the care taken to ensure accuracy, and the fact that is still an evolving experimental project, no effort is ever perfect. If you see something that needs correcting, please <a style=\"color: #0056b3; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"mailto:john@theblackvault.com\">contact me directly<\/a> and I\u2019ll make sure it gets fixed. Every Vault File is a living archive\u2014and your input helps keep it the best it can be.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/nav>\n<\/nav>\n<\/nav>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Note: The re-creation imagery used in this article to represent details of the case are visual interpretations created from Captain Terauchi\u2019s sketches, crew testimony, and FAA documentation. While every effort was made to keep them as accurate and faithful as possible, certain details of the encounter \u2013 such as the precise appearance and scale of<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8490,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[58,130,256,1243,2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-8469","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nighttime-sightings","8":"category-pilot-sightings","9":"category-radar-confirmed","10":"category-the-vault-files","11":"category-ufos"},"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - 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