JAL 1628: Multiple UFO encounter over Alaska
On November 17, 1986, a Japanese cargo aircraft encountered multiple anomalous objects during flight over Alaska. The crew observed two smaller craft with illuminated propulsion arrays that approached closely, followed by a massive disc-shaped object trailing the plane. Despite military and civilian confirmation attempts, the phenomenon remained unexplained after a 50-minute observation period.
[Dolan Vol.2 enrichment]: Dolan's detailed account: JAL 1628, a Paris-Tokyo cargo flight carrying French wine, is on its middle leg from Iceland to Anchorage. Captain Kenju Terauchi (30 years experience) with copilot and flight engineer fly at 35,000 feet over the Beaufort Sea. At 5:11 PM, two squarish objects appear at 11 o'clock position, within 500-1,000 feet, so bright the cockpit heats up. Objects have dark stripe across center resembling charcoal with glowing orange embers. At 5:19 PM crew radios AARTCC. At 5:23 PM objects move left toward a long horizontal pale light — an immense object. At 5:25 PM AARTCC picks up anomalous radar target. At 5:30 PM near Fairbanks, Terauchi sees 'the silhouette of a gigantic spaceship' estimated as large as two aircraft carriers. Crew requests course changes; at 5:36 PM instructed to make a 360-degree turn. ROCC radar tracks unknown target following the plane. UFO departs when United Airlines flight approaches. FAA administrator Admiral Donald Engen convenes briefing with FBI, CIA, and scientific study team. CIA members instruct everyone that 'the meeting never took place' and confiscate evidence — but FAA's John Callahan retains copies of videotape and audio.
Background
On the evening of November 17, 1986, a Japanese airline's cargo flight 1628 experienced an extended encounter with unidentified aerial phenomena while traversing Alaskan airspace. The Boeing 747-200F, transporting wine from France to Japan, had departed Paris and was progressing through the leg between Iceland and Anchorage when anomalies first appeared near the aircraft at approximately 5:11 PM local time.
According to crew reports, two unidentified craft suddenly ascended from below and positioned themselves alongside the cargo plane. These objects featured dual rectangular configurations of bright exhaust-like emissions, though their main structures remained hidden in darkness. During the closest approach, illumination flooded the cockpit and the pilot reportedly perceived thermal radiation against his skin. After several minutes, these initial objects departed, only to be replaced by a singular, substantially larger circular craft that maintained pursuit of the airliner.
Air traffic controllers in Anchorage tracked the unusual returns and attempted verification by vectoring a nearby United Airlines passenger jet toward the coordinates. Additionally, military assets were directed to intercept the position. However, neither the commercial aircrew nor the military pilots could visually confirm the strange contacts, despite ground radar indicating anomalous targets. The entire sequence persisted for nearly one hour before the objects disappeared from monitoring systems.