JAL Flight 1628 Alaska Encounter
On November 17, 1986, a Japan Airlines Boeing 747 cargo flight was paced by three UFOs for 50 minutes over Alaska. Captain Kenju Terauchi, a 29-year veteran pilot, described a walnut-shaped craft larger than an aircraft carrier. FAA radar confirmed unknown targets. The captain was grounded for speaking publicly.
Japan Airlines Flight 1628 remains one of the most credible and well-documented UFO encounters in aviation history. A veteran pilot with 29 years of experience, FAA radar confirmation, and a 50-minute encounter over Alaska combined to create a case that authorities could not easily dismiss - though they tried.
The Flight
On November 17, 1986, JAL Flight 1628, a Boeing 747 cargo aircraft, was flying from Paris to Tokyo via Anchorage, carrying a load of Beaujolais wine. Captain Kenju Terauchi, a former Japanese fighter pilot with 29 years of experience, was commanding with co-pilot Takanori Tamefuji and flight engineer Yoshio Tsukuba.
At approximately 5:11 PM local time, flying at 35,000 feet over northeastern Alaska, the crew noticed lights below and to the left of their aircraft.
The Encounter
What happened over the next 50 minutes would change Captain Terauchi’s life.
The first objects appeared as two smaller craft with “glowing nozzles,” keeping pace with the 747. Captain Terauchi reported feeling heat on his face through the cockpit window. The objects had square-shaped arrays of nozzles or thrusters.
The giant craft followed when the two smaller objects departed, replaced by something enormous - a “walnut-shaped” or “mothership” craft that Captain Terauchi estimated was larger than an aircraft carrier. It appeared as a dark silhouette against the twilight sky, occasionally illuminated by city lights below.
The pursuit continued as the giant craft followed the 747 for approximately 400 miles. When Terauchi requested permission to deviate from course, the object matched his maneuvers. It maintained a consistent distance, as if watching.
Radar Confirmation
The encounter was tracked by multiple radar systems. Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center tracked intermittent returns near the 747. Elmendorf AFB military radar detected the objects. The FAA’s Anchorage facility logged the event.
FAA Division Chief John Callahan later stated that radar showed the UFO “switched behind” the 747, matching its movements. A United Airlines flight was diverted to confirm the sighting but the object had departed by the time they arrived.
The Aftermath
Captain Terauchi’s decision to speak publicly about the encounter had consequences. JAL initially supported his account. After international media attention, JAL grounded him from flight duties. He was assigned to desk work for several years. He was eventually reinstated but never commanded international flights again.
The FAA initially confirmed the incident, then attempted to dismiss it. John Callahan, the FAA Division Chief who received the case files, later revealed that CIA representatives attended the FAA’s briefing on the incident and instructed those present: “This event never happened.”
Captain Terauchi’s Credibility
Terauchi was not a UFO enthusiast or attention-seeker. He had 29 years of professional flying experience as a former military fighter pilot who commanded international cargo flights. He had no history of unusual claims. His career was damaged by speaking out.
His co-pilot and flight engineer also witnessed the objects but were more reluctant to speak publicly.
What Did They See?
Skeptical explanations have included Jupiter and Mars, as the planets were visible that night, but this doesn’t explain the radar returns or the heat felt through the cockpit.
Misidentified aircraft theories fail because no known aircraft matches the description, and military radar would have identified conventional traffic.
Ice crystals in the atmosphere can create light effects, but not solid radar returns or heat.
No explanation has satisfactorily accounted for all aspects of the encounter.
Legacy
JAL Flight 1628 represents one of the strongest UFO cases on record with highly credible witnesses with nothing to gain, extended duration (50+ minutes), multiple radar confirmations, government documentation later obtained through FOIA, and clear attempt at official suppression.
The case file, including radar data and crew statements, was released through Freedom of Information requests and remains available through the National Archives.