The Alaska Encounter

On November 17, 1986, Captain Kenjyu Terauchi was commanding JAL Flight 1628 — a cargo aircraft carrying Beaujolais Nouveau from Paris to Tokyo — over Alaska when he encountered a series of unidentified objects. The encounter lasted approximately 50 minutes and involved objects he described as "walnut-shaped," with the largest estimated to be twice the size of an aircraft carrier. The objects tracked his 747 through multiple heading changes.

Military radar at Elmendorf Air Force Base and FAA radar both detected anomalous returns during portions of the encounter. Terauchi filed an official report and gave testimony to the FAA and Japanese aviation authorities. The FAA's investigation found no conventional explanation.

The Aftermath

Despite his impeccable 29-year flight record, Terauchi was removed from flight status by JAL shortly after the incident — though the airline insisted the decision was routine. He was reinstated after public attention faded. The case remains one of the most thoroughly documented pilot UAP encounters on record.