Japan Airlines Flight 1628 UFO Incident (1986)
On November 17, 1986, Japan Airlines Flight 1628, a cargo flight from Paris to Narita International Airport near Tokyo, experienced a mysterious encounter while flying over Alaska. The flight was led by Captain Kenju Terauchi, an experienced former fighter pilot with more than 10,000 hours of flight time. As the Boeing 747 neared Anchorage in the early hours before sunrise, Captain Terauchi observed two strange lights outside his cockpit window, which seemed to be maneuvering in relation to each other and pacing the aircraft at a speed of about 500 miles per hour. Realizing the lights were attached to oval-shaped objects that were getting dangerously close, Terauchi contacted Anchorage air traffic control for identification, only to find that the objects were unidentified.
The situation escalated when the two initial UFOs disappeared, replaced by a single, enormous object that dwarfed the 747, described by Terauchi as a “gigantic spaceship,” comparable in size to two aircraft carriers. This sighting prompted a response from NORAD at Elmendorf Air Force Base, confirming the presence of a large unidentified object on radar. Despite evasive maneuvers and even a descent to 4,000 feet, the massive UFO continued to shadow the aircraft, leading air traffic control to divert another commercial flight to investigate, although the UFO vanished before it could be observed by the second flight.
Captain Terauchi and his crew reported seeing unidentified flying objects that accompanied them for approximately 40 minutes before vanishing. Terauchi provided a detailed sketch of the sighting, which was later visualized in a Japanese television graphic based on his descriptions, depicting the UFOs as considerably larger than an aircraft carrier, dwarfing the size of their jumbo jet.
The incident prompted discussions with air traffic controllers, as captured in FAA recordings, where the crew struggled to identify the type of aircraft they encountered, suggesting it was unlike any conventional aircraft. Despite the detailed accounts from Terauchi’s crew and efforts by other planes sent to investigate, which resulted in no unusual findings, the FAA concluded a three-month investigation stating there was nothing to substantiate the pilot’s story of a UFO encounter.
The incident quickly attracted significant attention from aviation and government authorities. Captain Terauchi and his crew were interviewed by FAA officials and other special agents immediately after landing. The FAA, along with the FBI, CIA, and representatives from President Reagan’s administration, held a meeting to review the incident, which included audio recordings of the communications between Terauchi and air traffic control. Despite the substantial evidence and documentation, the incident was shrouded in secrecy, with a CIA agent reportedly stating that the meeting and the incident “never happened,” and all data presented were confiscated.
A month after the UFO encounter involving Japan Airlines Flight 1628 on November 17, 1986, Captain Kenju Terauchi decided to share his experience with the media. He reached out to Kyoto News, a major news agency in Japan, and disclosed his belief that the mysterious crafts he and his crew had witnessed were of extraterrestrial origin. His decision to go public with his account was not authorized by Japan Airlines, and the airline’s response to his actions was significant.
As a consequence of making unauthorized public statements about the incident, Japan Airlines took disciplinary action against Captain Terauchi. The airline removed him from active flight duties and reassigned him to a desk job. This move effectively grounded one of their most experienced pilots, who had a distinguished career and over 10,000 hours of flight time, including his time as a fighter pilot.
This response by Japan Airlines highlighted the challenges and potential repercussions that professional pilots could face when reporting or discussing encounters with unidentified aerial phenomena, especially outside of official channels. It underscored the stigma and career risks associated with reporting UFO sightings within the aviation community at the time, contributing to an atmosphere of reluctance among pilots to report such incidents for fear of professional consequences.
This event underscores the challenges pilots face when reporting unidentified aerial phenomena, often fearing disbelief, ridicule, or career repercussions. The encounter of Japan Airlines Flight 1628 remains one of the most well-documented and compelling cases of a UFO sighting, supported by both eyewitness accounts and radar data, highlighting the ongoing debate regarding the presence of extraterrestrial life and the transparency of such encounters.
John Callahan, a retired employee from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), shared his intriguing experience related to an unidentified flying object (UFO) sighting during his tenure as a Division Manager for the Accidents Evaluation and Investigation Division. About two years prior to his retirement, Callahan received a notable call from the Alaska region, an area not typically associated with widespread media attention. The call concerned a UFO sighting, sparking significant interest and concern. Callahan advised the regional personnel to inform the media that the matter was under investigation and directed them to forward all relevant data to the FAA’s technical center in Atlantic City.
Following this, Callahan, along with his immediate supervisor, visited Atlantic City to thoroughly investigate the incident. Utilizing a newly purchased video camera, Callahan documented the event, capturing radar and visual data that corroborated the pilot and air traffic controller’s observations. This evidence was synchronized with the audio recordings of the communications between the aircraft and ground control, providing a comprehensive overview of the encounter.
The significance of this event escalated when Callahan was instructed to present his findings to a high-profile assembly, including President Reagan’s scientific staff, the CIA, the FBI, and various FAA experts. This meeting was aimed at analyzing the radar data, which was unprecedented in its recording of a UFO. Despite the excitement and interest the data generated among the attendees, the CIA emphasized the importance of keeping the meeting and its findings confidential, citing potential public panic as the reason for secrecy.
According to Callahan’s accounts, at the conclusion of this meeting, a CIA representative allegedly insisted that the meeting “never happened” and that the incident itself was to be kept confidential. It was also stated that all the materials related to the incident were to be collected and presumably kept from public disclosure.
However, Callahan mentioned that he had retained copies of the materials, including the audio recordings and radar data, which he later disclosed to the public. His actions provided significant insight into the incident and contributed to the ongoing discussion and study of unidentified aerial phenomena. Callahan’s revelations have been crucial for researchers and the public interested in this notable UFO sighting case, highlighting issues of transparency and the management of unidentified aerial encounter reports.
Callahan’s narrative extends beyond the confines of this secretive meeting. He retained copies of the original voice recordings and radar data, which he discovered among his possessions after his retirement. This comprehensive collection of evidence supports his account of the events, reinforcing the credibility of his claims. Callahan expresses a willingness to testify before Congress, asserting that his recounting and the accompanying evidence reflect the truth of his extraordinary experience on November 18, 1986.
The mysterious encounter of Japan Airlines Flight 1628 over Alaska, involving Captain Kenju Terauchi’s sighting of an unusually large UFO, serves as a compelling case within the broader context of aviation encounters with unidentified aerial phenomena. This incident, characterized by detailed witness accounts from the flight crew and supported by radar data, aligns with a series of documented encounters between commercial airliners and unexplained objects, as explored in depth at airliners and UFOs.
