ANA Flight NH257: Cigar-Shaped UAP Encounter at 31,000 Feet over Japan
On 11 February 1978, All Nippon Airways Flight NH257 — a Boeing 727-200 cruising at 31,000 feet and Mach 0.8 — encountered an unidentified cigar-shaped aerial object during the Tokyo-to-Fukuoka route. The encounter began around 18:03 local time. The object maintained a lateral offset of roughly 500 meters while flying approximately 150 meters below the aircraft's altitude, keeping pace with the jet for an extended period.
The crew initially assumed the object was a DC-8 passenger aircraft, given its elongated silhouette. As they drew closer, however, it became apparent the craft possessed neither wings nor engines — features incompatible with any known commercial or military airplane. The encounter concluded when the object suddenly discharged a large plume of smoke and accelerated away at high speed, vanishing from sight. The incident is catalogued in the MUFON Case Management System (CMS) under the cylinder/cigar-shaped category.
Background
The ANA Flight NH257 incident stands as one of the better-documented commercial aviation UAP cases from 1970s Japan. A Boeing 727-200 operated by All Nippon Airways encountered a cigar-shaped object at 31,000 feet over the Tokyo–Fukuoka corridor.
The Incident
The aircraft was on a routine domestic flight when the crew spotted an unknown object in their altitude band.
At closest approach, it was 500 meters to the side and 150 meters lower than the plane.
The crew initially thought it was a DC-8, but closer inspection revealed no wings, engine pods, or tail assembly.
Object Description
- Shape: Elongated, cigar-shaped with no discernible wings, engine pods, or tail
- Size: Comparable to a large narrow-body jet like the DC-8
- Behavior: Matched the 727's cruising speed of Mach 0.8
No known aircraft matches this wingless profile at cruising altitude.
Encounter Termination
The object abruptly emitted a substantial smoke discharge.
It then departed at a speed exceeding any contemporary aircraft capabilities.
The crew had no time to photograph or record it.
Significance
In MUFON's October 2008 statistics, cylinder/cigar-shaped craft were rare with only 20 reports that month.
This historic case shows the shape appearing across decades and regions.
The absence of flight control surfaces and extreme acceleration place it in the upper tier of unexplained aviation encounters.