Japan Airlines Flight 1628 Incident
1986 sighting by a Japan Airlines cargo crew over Alaska tracked on FAA radar
| Japan Airlines Flight 1628 Incident | |
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| Date | November 17, 1986 |
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| Location | Airspace near Anchorage, Alaska, U.S. |
| Type | Sighting / radar contact |
| Status | Unresolved |
Captain Kenju Terauchi and his crew reported lights and a large silhouetted object that appeared to follow their Boeing 747 cargo flight for an extended period, at times appearing to the crew as two smaller craft and once as a shape they described as far larger than their own aircraft.
Assessment
The Federal Aviation Administration’s investigation found an intermittent, unexplained radar target consistent with part of the crew’s account, though officials also suggested possible weather or lighting artifacts and the FAA’s own review noted no definitive identification was reached. The case remains one of the most cited pilot-radar UFO reports involving a commercial airliner.
[1]See also
References
- ^ Federal Aviation Administration, Flight Standards District Office investigation report, 1986.