News Article Unclassified Complete

733667-02-001-0048

National Archives and Records Administration

Released
Published
Added to archive
Jun 16, 2026
Department
National Archives and Records Administration
Original size
1 MB
External ID
9408df45f67477d5b1c97fc1822aac498070a1b5c562cbb5edb70157fc2824e9
Confidence
85%
Credibility
90%

View original document ↗ hosted at the official government source

Intelligence summary

On November 17, the crew of Japan Air Lines Flight 1628 reported a UFO with flashing lights following their cargo jet across the Arctic Circle. The Air Force confirmed radar detection of an object near the plane, although FAA controllers did not see it. The crew described the lights as unusual and not typical of aircraft markings.

Tags & topics

Aviation incidentsMilitary InvolvementUFO sightings Air ForceArctic CircleFAAJapan Air LinesUFO

Locations referenced

LocationContextConfidenceSupporting text
ANCHORAGE, AK Incident Location Medium —_—— ‘UFO follows plane across ‘Arctic Circle, crew claims ” by United Press International ANCHORAGE, Alaska — iThe crew of a Japan Air Lines * cargo jet claime
International Airport Incident Location Unresolved …nge sight reported by the pilot, copilot and flight engi - neer of JAL Flight 1628 remains The incident occurred Nov. 17 but was not made public until ‘a news

Extracted timeline

Jun 16, 2026

Ingestion Date

Ingestion Date for 733667-02-001-0048

Jun 16, 2026

Document Record Date

Document Record Date for 733667-02-001-0048

Jun 16, 2026

Update Date

Update Date for 733667-02-001-0048

Entities mentioned

Full document text

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—_—— ‘UFO follows plane across ‘Arctic Circle, crew claims ” by United Press International ANCHORAGE, Alaska — iThe crew of a Japan Air Lines * cargo jet claimed-that a mysteri- ous UFO with flashing white and . yellow strobe lights followed them across the Arctic Circle en route from Reykjavik, Iceland to Tokyo. The three-man crew radioed : air traffic controllers in Anchor- age, reporting the huge UFO fly- ‘ing “in formation” with them and +the Air Force confirmed an ob- ject briefly flew near the’ plane, Federal Aviation Administration ‘ [spokesman Paul Steucke said Monday. Although the Air Force radar ‘briefly picked up’a second ob- * ject, Steucke said, FAA control- lers in Anchorage and Fairbanks . did not. ‘ The strange sight reported by the pilot, copilot and flight engi - neer of JAL Flight 1628 remains The incident occurred Nov. 17 but was not made public until ‘a news reporter questioned the FAA, . \Following the UFO sighting, the plane landed at Anchorage International Airport and FAA security manager Jim Derry in- _terviewed all three crewmen. According to the FAA ac- count, lights appeared only a mile from the plane as it crossed the Arctic Circle. “They said they could not see the shape, onty the lights,” Steucke said of the crew's ac- count. “ The white and yellow strobe lights followed the Boeing 747 for 50 miles. The crew estimated .they were 7 miles away. The lighting was not normal aircraft marking pattern, the crew re- ported. = Derry concluded the crew was not hallucinating and was not influenced by drugs or alco- * a mystery. hol. KALOKU —TFEAMESSEE — i-Le MVEM/- SEW TEL. TUESOAY, O&@, 30,1786 Sjq} Jepisuoo 3M Mou 78H, i ( ! saHB 288 Hilgeeke as SE =ak oe weSSg@eRoR se Saas echs& Be Beskea|.8 F eeev 208 BR a = 5 REBEE B28 gge E =4-] Sere Ht Fess oO Aare rere te sisegedteees HGabesgets S Easeses see sgaeee esate g8 aaga28age SEER $8 geeds MBG BOES F seabeceace aad: ne: se Neeyegeee Ae peer SE RoS “e Swe ops a4 a 225 Beare 283g oe ATE 4 4 2 eg 68. daq 8 POSSTULSTP SBY 910,] ITY 3ILL «Japnp urop JTV_}op SUOTS Se }] SYBUE },U0M,, ,JayuToue Te Plover JUpBr B JO HOB] am} TMS ‘Sexay ‘UMssg U] HAOMJaNH += WO OU pue dA} B Sjt ING ‘SuOTSUALUTp Buy ‘SIqIPALD S} MAID OY} YsNoy]- OAN Fenny 3g} JO s10~aTp ‘SRLIPUY Jaye PISS ,,/SBA I] SB yd am jeu aes Aouy Jey Mes Ao HUI) I ‘Aysnopses Suyjqsys s,Ma19 “MODY },00p 3 If payeard jem) Ss} wouswous «AIOM JO JOT B JO ATLIOM SBD 3U) DHE} BM,, <OYONIS PleS OSB) B -Sala]U] VUlOS sey SPLL,, :Swy areds .sqy ul SSUYSIS OAN Wel, SB oseq o010,7 SolpIevesel OM [EPO YSYN Usa Je Jepel sj} ao 8 ‘SaujeH P1IBQITa Pres "Dyes ayONTIS neq ueusayods pojaitered pyes MAID amy pol j & S 2 F S 3 ay : e QGNO24g]S LNOU4d UV > @ m VE» ZB6L ‘Z AUVNNVT ‘AVGSSNGIM « AVOOL VSN 7}