The strange story of JAL 1628

Dear friends, i share this one, of course discussed before, for a reason:

IF this sighting was real, well we can't call it swamp gas. Something INTELLIGENT crossed alaska's skies that day: but what?

The JAL Flight 1628 UFO incident

In November, 1986, a Japanese crew of a jumbo freighter aircraft witnessed three unidentified objects while flying over Alaska, USA. This sighting gained international attention when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that it was going to officially investigate this sighting because the Air Route Traffic Control Center in Anchorage, Alaska, had reported that the UFO had been detected on radar. Captain Terauchi was featured on numerous radio and TV programs and in People Magazine. Within a few months of these events he was grounded, apparently for his indiscretion of reporting a UFO, even though he was a senior captain with an excellent flying record. Several years later he was reinstated. The UFOs in this case were tracked on both ground and airborne radar, witnessed by experienced airline pilots, and confirmed by a FAA Division Chief.

According to Captain Kenju Terauchi, First Officer Takanori Tamefuji and Flight Engineer Yoshio Tsukuda, two small lights and one huge lighted object were in sight on their radar for more than a half hour.
They watched as they flew 350 miles (550 km.) southward across Alaska
from Ft. Yukon toward Anchorage.
Captain Terauchi, a veteran of 29 years flying, said "It was a very big one or two times bigger than an aircraft carrier." He changed altitude and made turns, with FAA permission, in an effort to identify the objects which continued to follow him. He said the objects moved quickly and stopped suddenly. At one time, the light from the large object was so bright that it lit the airplane's cockpit and Captain Terauchi said he could feel heat from it on his face. He added that he had been watching the UFO for six minutes before notifying anyone on the ground; this would make the start of the sighting about 6:13 p.m.
The FAA at first confirmed the claims that several of its radar traffic controllers tracked the 747 and the large object, and that U.S. Air Force radar did as well. Later official statements hedged on this, and tried to attribute the radar targets to weather effects. At the end, however, an FAA spokesman stated, "We are accepting the descriptions of the crew, but are unable to support what they saw."

Drawings by Captain Terauchi and the crew of JAL flight 1628 of the UFOs they observed over Alaska in November 1986. Courtesy of FAA.

The summary of the communication between JAL Captain Terauchi and ground controllers was published by the Federal Aviation Administration:



6:19 PM local time: The pilot of JL1628 requested traffic information from the ZAN (FAA Air Route Traffic Control Center, Anchorage) Sector 15 controller.

6:26 PM: ZAN contacted the Military Regional Operations Control Center (ROCC), and asked if they were receiving any radar returns near the position of JL1628. The ROCC advised that they were receiving a primary radar return in JL1628's 10 o'clock (left-front) position at 8 miles.

6:27 PM: The ROCC contacted ZAN to advise they were no longer receiving any radar returns in the vicinity of JL1628.

6:31 PM: JL1628 advised that the 'plane' was 'quite big,' at which time the ZAN controller approved any course deviations needed to avoid the traffic.

6:32 PM: JL1628 requested and received a descent from FL350 to FL310 (flight level 350 and 310, meaning altitude of 35,000 and 31,000 feet, or 10,500 m. and 9,500 m.). When asked if the traffic was descending also, the pilot stated it was descending 'in formation.'

6:35 PM: JL1628 requested and received a heading change to two one zero (210 degrees, or southwest). The aircraft was now in the vicinity of Fairbanks and ZAN contacted Fairbanks Approach Control asking if they had any radar returns near JL1628's position. The Fairbanks Controller advised they did not.

6:36 PM: JL1628 was issued a 360 degree turn and asked to inform ZAN if the traffic stayed with them.

6:38 PM: The ROCC called ZAN advising they had confirmed a 'flight of two' in JL1628's position. They advised they had some 'other equipment watching this,' and one was a primary target only.

6:39 PM: JL1628 told ZAN they no longer had the traffic in sight.

6:42 PM: The ROCC advised it looked as though the traffic had dropped back and to the right of JL1628, however, they were no longer tracking it.

6:44 PM: JL1628 advised the traffic was now at 9 o'clock (left).

6:45 PM: ZAN issued a 10 degree turn to a northbound United Airlines flight, after pilot concurrence, in an attempt to confirm the traffic.

6:48 PM: JL1628 told ZAN the traffic was now at 7 o'clock (left rear), 8 miles.

6:50 PM: The northbound United flight advised they had the Japan Airlines flight in sight, against a light background, and could not see any other traffic.

6:53 PM: JL1628 advised that they no longer had contact with the traffic

www.ufologie.net...

AFTER the plane levelled out he observed "lights that looked like aircraft lights, 30 degrees left front, 2,000 feet below us, moving exactly in the same direction and with the same
speed we were." At that time the airplane was flying at about 525 kts (nautical miles per hour) ground speed (972 km/hr or 605 mph) according to the tracking data (3). Subsequently the speed decreased to about 500 kts.

brumac.8k.com...


Alaska's 1986 UFO sighting still rouses curiosity
KTUU Channel 2 News (Alaska), November 8, 2002

Disclosure Project: Testimony of John Callahan, Former FAA Division Chief
Disclosure Project Briefing Document - Executive Summary

FAA investigates JAL Flight 1628 UFO Sighting
Associated Press, 1986

Statement of Captain Terauchi, Pilot of JAL Flight 1628

UFO FILES: Black Box UFO Secrets (.PDF)
Wednesday, 11th August, 2006

Video: John Callahan, Former FAA Division Chief, dicusses JAL Flight 1628
UFO Symposium at The George Washington University, 2002

This is a rendering from the description that Capt. Terauchi gave to the FAA. It was first published by the International UFO Reporter in the March/April 1987 issue Volume 12, number 12. The relative size of Capt. Terauchi's Boeing 747 can be seen at the bottom right of the satellite

Courtesy: John Lear

Here is Capt. Terauchi's actual drawing showing the shape of the craft and the relative size of his Boeing 747

Courtesy: John Lear









Courtesy: Bruce Maccabee



Courtesy: JeromeProphet


UFO Files: Black Box UFO Secrets Revealed ( part 1 of 5 )

The relevant part starts at min. 2:00


UFO Files: Black Box UFO Secrets Revealed ( part 2 of 5 )

UFO Files: Black Box UFO Secrets Revealed ( part 3 of 5 )

UFO Files: Black Box UFO Secrets Revealed ( part 4 of 5 )

UFO Files: Black Box UFO Secrets Revealed ( part 5 of 5 )


THE FANTASTIC FLIGHT OF JAL1628
Complete report by Bruce Maccabee


Sources:

www.ufodata.co.uk...
brumac.8k.com...
jeromeprophet.blogspot.com...
www.ufoevidence.org...
www.ufocasebook.com...
www.ufocasebook.com...

Thank you so much for an excellent presentation of one of the most amazing UFO sightings ever! Great work, Internos, and it is highly appreciated.

I have read about this case before, and I am old enough to remember when the case was reported in the news. There is no doubt in my mind that this was the real deal. How could this be explained away as anything else? And the size of that big UFO... Wow. Scary stuff.

Great thread btw

well put together aswell

a well deserved star and flag hope you get more for this thread.

God bless

Internos, whenever I see a thread you've started, I know its going to be put together well. I bet you did a fine job of making presentations in college.

I have a question regarding something you said. It was this

Within a few months of these events he was grounded, apparently for his indiscretion of reporting a UFO

.

Is there any documentation regarding this? I've often read where pilots say that discussing UfOs is carear suicide.

Great thread - Flagged!

reply to post by Chuck C


Yes: the reply is very sad: i would prefer to be WRONG but i am not. He was grounded and not only,: all pilots who repor UFOs sightings have troubles. This guy had some serious ones.

[edit on 4/9/2008 by internos]

INTERNOS i must thank you for this and all your work, i myself have been reading books for many many years on the subject and most of them don't come close to the passion you put into the field,you rule my friend.i always look forward to your post's and your knowledge is second to none in my opinion.have you thought of writing a book?

I know John Callahan quite well. This JAL 1628 case is by far one of the most interesting...

Good stuff Internos.

I too am just old enough to remember hearing about this sometime after it happened. And yes, it was the size of the object the pilot reported that caught the attention of MSM if I remember correctly...

It's nice to see sightings all around the globe; it lends credence to the topic.

Originally posted by stealthyaroura
INTERNOS i must thank you for this and all your work, i myself have been reading books for many many years on the subject and most of them don't come close to the passion you put into the field,you rule my friend.i always look forward to your post's and your knowledge is second to none in my opinion.have you thought of writing a book?

It is posts like this one that make me feel PROUD to do what i do. What else can i ask? I love this subject matter, i love UFOs, i love all the people interested in it I want get closer to the truth: i can do it if people like you help me And your post my friend, brought TEARS to my eyes. Thank you.

Great Thread Internos !

excellent case , one of the best pilot UFO reports of all time and i am amazed at how these UFO's acted around the airplane such as flying right in front of the cockpit window and the pilot said it lit up the cabin and he could also feel the intensity of the light

and of course the description about the size of the UFO really kinda freaks me out...but when thinking how big the universe is...a big ship does make sense imo.

there have been alot of strange UFO sightings over Alaska but this is one of the best. thanks for excellent presentation

star and flagged

great post...whoever has not seen the Black Box documentary, click the links in internos's OP. IMHO, one of the BEST compilations of evidence for UFO's out there.

i believe they started the show off with this case, but there are some other GREAT testimonies in there as well...and all on audio tape to boot.

I think this is one of the most interesting cases when it comes to pilot(s) vs. ufo.

I googled "terauchi ufo" and found this explanation (by Paul Raeburn) for the event:

www.skepticfiles.org...

!!! and !!! again! I find it highly unbelievable that a pilot would mistake any planet for a ufo. Philip Klass is cited in the article: "This is not the first time that an experienced pilot has mistaken a bright celestial body for a UFO, nor will it be the last".

When reading such a statement one would like to reply: This is not the first time a sceptic has mistaken a ufo for a bright celestial body.

By the way, I enjoy immensely to read your threads and your sound contributions in others, Internos. Thank you very much!

reply to post by internos


A thoroughly well written post sir. Informative and clear, an interesting read.

They're pretty good aren't they at keeping things quiet. "UFO" itself will achieve that. I think they've done such a good job over the years that all the evidence in the world shown to any media corporation and it would still be quashed by ridicule alone. The reporters on the TV always take on a lighter tone, smile a little and always at the end of the show, "In other news...", when reporting a sighting. That's their greatest achievement, covering it up without having to do anything.

reply to post by Chuck C

Terauchi was shortly afterwards grounded by JAL for talking to the press. He was given a desk job, and only reinstated as a pilot years afterwards. Now 67 and retired, he lives quietly with his wife in a small town in north Kanto, and talks about the adventure as little as possible.

"I spoke to a doctor – he said it was an illusion," he tells Shukan Shincho. "You saw something you weren't meant to see," his wife says consolingly. That, if nothing else, seems certain.

archive.japantoday.com...

He was indeed punished.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Great thread Internos!



Star and Flag from me.

I once heard John talk about this case, very interesting indeed.

I have always laughed at the explanations given for this sighting.

Mars and Jupiter a certain Phillip Klass genius once said....



[edit on 4-9-2008 by Camilo1]

during stephenville there was a similar shape to transpire before an eye witness, although the witness states its made of white flame..but it did look similar to the first two ufos out of the cockpit window to me


i hope i didnt dumb the thread down by posting that pic..

internos great job with the thread, you truely have helped the community out!

[edit on 9/4/2008 by LordThumbs]

Lol at Jupiter: are we trying to say that a PILOT can make this mistake? Well: we have pilots here on ats, let's ask them if it's POSSIBLE. I don't think it's possible but hey i could be wrong:lol
jupiter??? PAUL RAEBURN, don't smoke before making analysis. LMAO can't believe it
lolololol




[edit on 4/9/2008 by internos]

Originally posted by internos
Lol at jJupiter: are we trying to say that a PILOT can make this mistake? Well: we have pilots here on ats, let's ask them if it's POSSIBLE. I don't think it's possible but hey i could be wrong:lol
jupiter??? PAUL RAEBURN, don't smoke before making analysis. lolololol


[edit on 4/9/2008 by internos]

Yes it is possible.

Especially on the last flight of the day
And longhaul.

They must have seen something out of the ordinary since it is confirmed by ground radar.

Thank you for this thread Internos. This is one of my favourite more recent sightings due to the nature of the evidence. This really does deserve it's own thread.

If you are bored one day maybe knock one up on the Guernsey sighting by the 2 UK planes a few years ago. I've seen good videos of the witnesses but not much else. The simolarity between the incidents got me very interested.

This case and the others in alaska around the same time are some of my favorites.

From the descriptions of how the objects moved around the aircraft that saw them, is almost as though they had lots of interest in our flying machines.

That action is somewhat puzzling

Ok lets say that we have had visitors for at least 60 years.
These visitors are more than familiar with our flying technology.

Its almost as if this large vehicle had seen an aircraft for the first time?
As my brother and I discussed this event once, we both had the same thought at the same time.

The thought was that it was military, not ours or even human, but someone elses.
And that this vehicle was exploring our planet for the first time.
I think that they were just passing by, so to speak, heard us and stopped by for a quick look.



They made no attempt to hide themselves, they even showed up on civilian and military radars. When they flew around the aircraft they got right in our faces.
Usually sightings are more of a happen stance situation, the aircraft see's a UFO flying by, not right up to the aircraft and then shadowing it for sometime.
I think they looked around and then left.
There hasnt been any other sightings of an object of the same description
before or since.

Myself I am convinced that these outrageously large UFO's are well defined (maybe by air streams?) clouds. I have seen quite a few bizarre
looking clouds that where also huge and quite luminous in the right conditions at night.