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Unclassified Complete
733667-001-005
National Archives and Records Administration
Confidence
85%
Credibility
90%
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Intelligence summary
This document details an incident involving Japan Airlines Flight 1628, which reported an unidentified air traffic sighting on November 17, 1986. The flight crew, led by Captain Kenju Terauchi, observed strange lights and an unidentified aircraft during their flight from Reykjavik to Anchorage, Alaska.
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Locations referenced
| Location | Context | Confidence | Supporting text |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairbanks, AK | Incident Location | Medium | …n the port side for approximnately 35 minutes. Captain Terauchi said he was cx::mmmicating with AIID:C personnel during the sighting. The captain stated he req |
| Anchorage, AK | Unknown Context | Low | …the Aim:::c. Captain Terauchi indicated there was erratic novarent with lights of the UAT dur.i.ng the visual contact. Navigation was being perfm::rred by coup |
| Reykjavik to Anchorage, Alaska | Incident Location | Unresolved | …an incident involving Japan Airlines Flight 1628, which reported an unidentified air traffic sighting on November 17, 1986. The flight crew, led by Captain Ken |
| T Anchorage, Alaska | Unknown Context | Unresolved | …ential source at Japan Airlines, it was stated to me that this was oot the first s i .Jhting of an unidentified aircraft by captain TERAOCm. ~(__ ··~l_? • .:_1 |
| T Ancoorage, Alaska | Unknown Context | Unresolved | …\>JOuld give all data to Intelligence in the trorning. I then asked Bobby Lamkin by phone if AP was h:Jlding the data and he said yes. I NTER VIEWEO/REVIEWEO O |
| T Anchorage, Alaska | Unknown Context | Unresolved | …s a statement fran Agent Mickle and a chart and drawings by the JAL Captain. o)"ly 1~~ fhc-L'}10.~ I NTERVIEWED/REVIEWED -__ , -----------· FAA Form 1600°32°1 |
| Fairbanks | Incident Location | Unresolved | …al:xJut 7 miles. The lights were yellow, amber, and green, but no red. The lights were in twJ se:E,Jerate sets which changed position relative to one another. |
| Fairbanks, the crEM executed a | Incident Location | Unresolved | …al:xJut 7 miles. The lights were yellow, amber, and green, but no red. The lights were in twJ se:E,Jerate sets which changed position relative to one another. |
Extracted timeline
Jun 15, 1986
Document Date (year hint)
Document Date (year hint) for 733667-001-005
Jun 16, 2026
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Jun 16, 2026
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Document Record Date for 733667-001-005
Jun 16, 2026
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Full document text
7,113 characters, transcribed via OCR. Errors reflect the source scan. Compare with the original ↗
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION
AIR TPIANSPORTATION .SECURITY
As per telephonic request fran FS00-63, the following are the events
which took place on Novanber 17, 1986 and were taken fran my personal
IX>tes during the interview: Resporrled to Japan Airlines station
office as instructed by Manager (James S. Derry), Alil.r-700. Myself
and Jim Derry intervier.-.ied the crew of JAL Flight 1628, which reported
the sighting of unidentified air ·traffic. The flight crew consisted
of the captain, Kenju Terauchi, First Officer Takanori Tamefuji ~. and
Flight Engineer Yoshie Tsukuda. captain Terauchi stated the cargo
only flight had departed Reykjavik, Icelaric1.. captain Terauchi stated
he first sited (visually) the unidentified air traffic (UAT) in the
vacini ty of Potat intersection and the ADIZ. The aircraft he was
piloting (B7 4 7) was at flight level 390, airspeed 0. 84 Mach. Captain
Terauchi indicated the UAT was in front of his aircraft at a distance
of approximately seven·to eight nautical miles for approximately 12
minutes. The Captain stated the distance was indicated by the onl:oard
Berrlix color radar. Captain Terauchi stated that while he had a
visual on the UAT, he spotted yellow, amber and green lights, and a
rotating beacon, but IX> red lights. The Captain said there were two
distinct sets of lights, but appeared to be joined together (as fixed
to one object). Captian Terauchi ascertained through visual sighting
and radar, that the UAT was~ in size to a B747, possibly larger.
Captain Terauchi stated that during the visual sighting, the lights of
the UAT changed fran a horizontal position to a vertical position and
had positioned itself fran in front of the B7 4 7 to port side. The
UAT stayed on the port side for approximnately 35 minutes.
Captain Terauchi said he was cx::mmmicating with AIID:C personnel during
the sighting. The captain stated he requested, and received, pennission
to perfo:an a 360 degree turn while in the vacinity of Fairbanks, Alaska,
which he had a visual on. Captain Terauchi stated the UAT maintained
its position on the port side during the turn. Captain Terauchi stated
visual sight of the UAT was lost approximately 40 nautical miles north
of Talkeetna, while continuing on to Anchorage.
Additional infonnation regarding the flight:
Captain Terauchi stated there was static during VHF ccmnunications with
the Aim:::c.
Captain Terauchi indicated there was erratic novarent with lights of the
UAT dur.i.ng the visual contact.
Navigation was being perfm::rred by coupling of the on}:x:)ard IlJS' s.
INTERVIEWEO/REVI EWEO ON !_bv~ _]. 7-I ~986 __
-__ ,
AT Anchorage, Alaska
-----------··
BY
Ronald E. Mickle, FAA S/A
-----------·
FAA Form 1600-32·112.731
GPO 11•2•1111•
FILE NO.
------~---·
FOR OFFICIAL USE OHL Y ·
(Public availobl/lty to&. de-
tennln.0 unJer S U. S. C. 552)
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
FEOERAL AVIATION AOMINISTRATION
Captain TEPAlX:lil stated that FM MC had indicated to him the presenc:e
of a primary target in addition to his aircraft.
Addendlmt: Through a confidential source at Japan Airlines, it was stated
to me that this was oot the first s i .Jhting of an unidentified
aircraft by captain TERAOCm. ~(__
··~l_? • .:_198~
B~~ • , . . I , FM, ML-700
FAA Form 1600-32-112-731
--__ ,
___ ,
QPO 142•994
"T Anchorage, Alaska
___________ ,
FILE NO.
----------·
FOR OFFICIAL USE OHL Y.
(Public ovoilobillty to be tle-
termln.0 un<ffr S U. S. C. 552)
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
FEDERAL. A\/IATION ACMINISTRATION
On Novanber 17, I responded to a call fran the OCC reference an
incident involving unidentified air traffic (UAT) follc:Ming JAL flight
1628 into Anchorage. I asked Agent Mickle to :r.eet rne at Anchorage
Allport.
Upon arriving at /lNC., I met Agent Mickle and Inspector Wright
(FS00-63) who had been at the aircraft. All three of us then oro-
ceded to JAL operations to intervi~ the crEM. At JAL Operations
we met with Captain Terauchi, 1st Officer Tarrefuji, and 2nd Officer
Tsukuda along with Mr. Shi.mbashi, the JAL Operations Manager at
Anchorage.
The three crewrren stated that just after passing rorAT inter-
section inl::x:nmd to Anchorage on J529 they observed strange lights
ahead of their B-747. These lights changed position after 2 minutes
but rana.ined in front of the A/C for another 10 minutes, then rroved
to the left side of the A/C. They stated that all they oould see
were the lights and at no ti.Ire could they see any craft. However,
they did shcM an object on their UX radar at al:xJut 7 miles. The
lights were yellow, amber, and green, but no red. The lights were
in twJ se:E,Jerate sets which changed position relative to one another.
The er~ said that they contacted Aim:c oonf inred that they also had
it on radar. Near Fairbanks, the crEM executed a 360° turn and the
lights stayed with them off of their left side. They then preceded
to Anchorage:~ the lights were still visible until arotmd 40 miles
north of ~tmen they rroved away to the east. The crew reported
their speed as 0.84 Mach and their altitude between FL390 and 310 as
assigned along the route.
The only problem noted with their systems was sane static in the
VHF receiver. The Navigational system in use was INS with no apparent
problems.
Upon o:::JTpletion of my discussion with the cre.N, I called Captain
Stevens (Duty Officer to NORAD) and asked if he had any question other
than what I had asked. He said he had no other questions, but they
also stxJwed tv.u targets on radar (one was JAL). He stated that they
\>JOuld give all data to Intelligence in the trorning. I then asked
Bobby Lamkin by phone if AP was h:Jlding the data and he said yes.
I NTER VIEWEO/REVIEWEO ON~~-1] ,_l
--__ ,
B Y _Special_ Agen_~ _ rry _ •13_•··~ t
FAA Form 1600°32°1 !2·731
"T Ancoorage, Alaska
___________ ,
FIL.ENO.
r
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY ·
(Public availability to be 0.-
termin..:/ under S U. S. C. 552)
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION
AIR TRANSPORTATION SECURITY
...
Agent Mickle and I then met with Dave Smith (ACS-300) and briefed
him on the incident.
On the rrorning of Novenber 18, I briefly discussed the incident
with AAL-1 & 2.
Attached is a statement fran Agent Mickle and a chart and drawings
by
the JAL Captain.
o)"ly 1~~
fhc-L'}10.~
I NTERVIEWED/REVIEWED
-__ ,
-----------·
FAA Form 1600°32°1 (2-731
COPO 1142•11114
( p -f -JtJ. Y ~L h;
by A~~t,j )1 J'<-k).v <
~ ~ ~~.~
"T Anchorage, Alaska
-- -------__ ,
FILE NO.
--------·
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY·
(Public ovoilability to be de-
termined 111cler 5 U. S. C. 552)
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