Other Unclassified Complete

733667-001-005

National Archives and Records Administration

Released
Published
Added to archive
Jun 16, 2026
Department
National Archives and Records Administration
Original size
5.8 MB
External ID
fc1a50ab5198cb8aa8aedb0fe5a49b84e0e37319fa9e19ca72ea803d87601312
Confidence
85%
Credibility
90%

View original document ↗ hosted at the official government source

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.

Tags & topics

Air traffic controlAviation SafetyUAP FAAFlight 1628Incident ReportJapan AirlinesUFO

Linked cases

Locations referenced

LocationContextConfidenceSupporting 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

Ingestion Date

Ingestion Date for 733667-001-005

Jun 16, 2026

Document Record Date

Document Record Date for 733667-001-005

Jun 16, 2026

Update Date

Update Date for 733667-001-005

Entities mentioned

Full document text

7,113 characters, transcribed via OCR. Errors reflect the source scan. Compare with the original ↗

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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) ( ( ~- L \. . . ~· ' . -- I I ! ! I \ \ ./ """!-- •. ' . . . . .r . . : x ·,.__ ' ... 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