Pilot Report Unclassified Complete

733667-001-007-0007

National Archives and Records Administration

Released
Published
Added to archive
Jun 16, 2026
Department
National Archives and Records Administration
Original size
2.6 MB
External ID
0d309e468a4bf87506e87d0e74c69f596621a76a6d92fa9ba98f3bdf2d551ff8
Confidence
85%
Credibility
90%

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Intelligence summary

This document contains a personal account from Capt. Kenju Terauchi regarding an encounter with unidentified aerial phenomena during JAL Flight 1628 on November 17, 1986. The account describes the sudden appearance of multiple unidentified flying objects that moved in formation alongside the aircraft, causing communication difficulties.

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Jun 15, 1986

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Document Date (year hint) for 733667-001-007-0007

Jun 16, 2026

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Ingestion Date for 733667-001-007-0007

Jun 16, 2026

Document Record Date

Document Record Date for 733667-001-007-0007

Jun 16, 2026

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Update Date for 733667-001-007-0007

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Full document text

1,484 characters, transcribed via OCR. Errors reflect the source scan. Compare with the original ↗

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-p 10° moved so suddenly. We probably would have felt more in danger and would have been prepared to escape if the spaceships were shaking unsteadily or were unable to stop themselves. It is impossible for any man-made machine to make a sudden appearance in front of a jumbo jet that is flying 910 kilometers per hour and to move along in a formation paralleling our aircraft. The ships moved in formation for about three to five minutes, then two ships moved forward in a line, again slightly higher in altitude as we were, 40 degrees to our left. We did not report this action to the Anchorage Center. Honestly, we were simply breathtaken. The VHF communication, both in transmitting and receiving were extremely difficult for ten or fifteen minutes While the little ships came close to us and often interfered with communication from the Anchorage Center; however, communication conditions became just as good as soon as the ships left us. There were no abnormalities in the equipment or the aircraft. I have no idea why they came so close to us. : Then again, there was a pale white flat light on the direction where the ships flew away, moving in a line along with us, in the same direction and same speed and in the same altitude aS we were. [Personal statement concerning JAL Flight 1628 sighting of unidentified air traffic, Nov. 17, 1986. Written by Capt. Kenju Terauchi; translated by Sayoko Mimoto, FAA Alaskan Region, Airway Facilities Division. Received by FAA 1/2/87]