The Aircraft Carrier in the Sky

On November 17, 1986, Japan Air Lines Flight 1628 encountered a massive UFO over Alaska. For 50 minutes, a cargo plane was followed by something the size of an aircraft carrier. Radar confirmed it. The pilot was punished for talking.

The Flight

JAL 1628:

• Boeing 747 cargo
• Paris to Tokyo
• Via Anchorage
• November 17, 1986
• Wine cargo

The Crew

Who was aboard:

• Captain Kenju Terauchi
• Co-pilot Takanori Tamefuji
• Flight engineer Yoshio Tsukuba
• All experienced
• Credible witnesses

First Contact

The beginning:

• Over Alaska
• Two lights appeared
• Below and left
• Followed plane
• Moving with them

The Lights

Initial objects:

• Square arrays
• Amber/white lights
• Multiple each
• Maneuvering
• Intelligent movement

The Giant Object

Then appeared:

• Massive craft
• Behind them
• “Aircraft carrier” size
• Detected by Terauchi
• In cockpit reflection

Size Estimation

How big:

• Larger than 747
• Much larger
• Two aircraft carrier size
• Enormous
• Unprecedented

Radar Confirmation

FAA tracking:

• Anchorage Center
• Primary radar return
• Same location
• Object confirmed
• Military alerted

Duration

How long:

• 50 minutes total
• Objects present
• Following flight
• Not departing
• Extended encounter

Terauchi’s Actions

His response:

• Reported to ATC
• Requested deviation
• Turn authorized
• Object followed
• Couldn’t escape

FAA Investigation

Official response:

• John Callahan
• FAA Division Chief
• Full investigation
• Data preserved
• Compelling case

The CIA Meeting

Secret briefing:

• CIA attended
• FAA presented
• Data shown
• Then told: never happened
• Records taken

John Callahan

Whistleblower:

• Kept copies
• Later went public
• Confirmed encounter
• Confirmed coverup
• Key witness

Terauchi’s Fate

Aftermath:

• Spoke to media
• JAL grounded him
• Desk job
• Punished for truth
• Later flew again

The Sketch

Terauchi’s drawing:

• Drew the craft
• Walnut shape
• Massive size
• Detailed
• Matches description

Skeptical Response

Explanations offered:

• Jupiter/Mars
• Ice crystals
• Radar malfunction
• None fit evidence
• Witnesses reject

Significance

50-minute encounter with radar confirmation, FAA investigation, and subsequent coverup.

Legacy

JAL 1628 shows what happens when pilots report UFOs—career damage and official silence. But John Callahan’s courage preserved the evidence of something enormous over Alaska.