Japan Airlines Flight 1628 Encounter

On November 17, 1986, Japan Airlines Flight 1628, a cargo jet carrying wine from Paris to Tokyo, encountered multiple unidentified flying objects over Alaska. The encounter lasted over 30 minutes, was tracked on FAA radar, and was witnessed by the experienced flight crew. The pilot’s subsequent grounding and ridicule demonstrated the professional risks of UFO reporting.

The Flight

Captain Kenju Terauchi, an experienced pilot with over 10,000 hours of flight time, was commanding the Boeing 747-200F cargo aircraft. His co-pilot and flight engineer accompanied him in the cockpit.

At approximately 5:11 PM local time, while flying at 35,000 feet over northeastern Alaska, the crew noticed lights below and to the left of their aircraft. The lights paced the jet for several minutes before suddenly appearing directly ahead.

The Objects

Two smaller objects appeared first, described as having rows of lights and moving erratically. These objects were followed by a much larger object that Terauchi described as “walnut-shaped” and estimated to be twice the size of an aircraft carrier.

The large object had a dark center with lights along its edge. It accompanied the aircraft for approximately 32 minutes, appearing and disappearing from view and from radar.

Radar Confirmation

FAA controllers at Anchorage confirmed that they were tracking a primary radar return near the JAL aircraft. Military radar also detected the object intermittently.

The FAA diverted a United Airlines flight in the area to investigate, but by the time it arrived, the objects had disappeared.

Investigation

The FAA investigated the incident. Captain Terauchi was interviewed extensively and gave consistent, detailed accounts of what he and his crew observed. The FAA concluded that the crew had indeed witnessed something unusual, though the official explanation remained “unresolved.”

Aftermath

Captain Terauchi’s willingness to report the incident and discuss it publicly led to consequences. He was grounded from flying for several years, officially due to unrelated concerns, though many suspected his UFO report was the real reason.

He maintained his account until his death, never changing the details or retracting his testimony.

Assessment

The JAL Flight 1628 incident is significant for several reasons. The witnesses were professional aviators with decades of experience. Radar confirmation supported visual observation. The duration of the encounter—over 30 minutes—rules out brief misidentification.

Something followed that cargo jet over Alaska. Whatever it was, it was enormous, maneuverable, and able to appear and disappear from both visual and radar observation at will.