Within JAL 1628
Did All Three Crew Members See a Mothership?
All three crew members reported unusual lights, but only Captain Terauchi clearly described a vast structured craft.
On this page
- What each crew member reported during and after the flight
- Where the witnesses agreed and where their accounts diverged
- How later retellings amplified the captain's interpretation
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Introduction
The short answer is no: all three crew members of Japan Air Lines Flight 1628 reported unusual lights over Alaska in November 1986, but the evidence does not show that all three independently saw the same giant structured craft later described by Captain Kenju Terauchi. The strongest point of agreement is that the crew observed bright lights moving in an unusual manner. The most famous part of the story—the enormous “mothership” supposedly shadowing the Boeing 747—rests primarily on Terauchi’s interpretation rather than on a consistent description shared by the entire crew.[centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com]centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.comSpecial ReportsThe FAA data package reveals. Terauchi to be a "UFO repeater," with two other UFO sightings prior to. November 17, and two…
This distinction is important because later retellings often merge all crew observations into a single dramatic account. The surviving interviews, FAA records and later analyses suggest a more complicated picture: a shared sighting of unusual lights, followed by diverging interpretations about what those lights represented.[centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com]centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.comSpecial ReportsThe FAA data package reveals. Terauchi to be a "UFO repeater," with two other UFO sightings prior to. November 17, and two…
What Each Crew Member Reported
The cockpit crew consisted of Captain Kenju Terauchi, First Officer Takanori Tamefuji and Flight Engineer Yoshio Tsukuba. All three were experienced aviation professionals, and all three acknowledged seeing unusual lights during the encounter.[Wikipedia]WikipediaJapan Air Lines Cargo Flight 1628Japan Air Lines Cargo Flight 1628
Terauchi’s account became the most detailed and dramatic. He described two smaller luminous objects near the aircraft and later reported a huge dark object behind or beyond them. In media interviews and FAA discussions, he referred to “two small ships and the mother ship” and produced sketches showing a vast structured craft.[UPI]upi.comJAL pilot describes UFOJAL pilot describes UFO - UPI Archives31 Dec 1986 — Terauchi referred to the objects as 'the two small ships and the mother ship,' and…
Tamefuji’s descriptions were more restrained. According to later interviews examined by investigators and sceptical researchers, he confirmed seeing lights but did not independently describe the enormous craft depicted in Terauchi’s drawings. When asked about the captain’s interpretation, he did not fully endorse it.[centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com]centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.comSpecial ReportsThe FAA data package reveals. Terauchi to be a "UFO repeater," with two other UFO sightings prior to. November 17, and two…
Tsukuba was similarly cautious. He reported unusual lights and acknowledged that something had attracted the crew’s attention, but he did not provide the same detailed description of a giant structured object. His testimony was generally less certain about shape and physical form than Terauchi’s.[centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com]centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.comSpecial ReportsThe FAA data package reveals. Terauchi to be a "UFO repeater," with two other UFO sightings prior to. November 17, and two…
Where the Witnesses Agreed
The areas of agreement are often overlooked because they are less sensational than the mothership narrative.
The crew broadly agreed on several points:
- They observed bright lights outside the aircraft.
- The lights appeared unusual enough to merit discussion in the cockpit.
- The sighting lasted long enough for the crew to monitor it rather than dismiss it as a brief flash or reflection.
- The event was reported in real time to air traffic control rather than reconstructed later from memory.[Wikipedia]WikipediaJapan Air Lines Cargo Flight 1628Japan Air Lines Cargo Flight 1628
These shared observations are one reason the case remains significant in Alaska’s UFO history. Unlike many reports that depend on a single witness, JAL 1628 involved multiple trained observers who all agreed that something unusual was visible.[Wikipedia]WikipediaJapan Air Lines Cargo Flight 1628Japan Air Lines Cargo Flight 1628
For that reason, sceptical explanations generally focus on what the lights were rather than arguing that the entire event was invented. The existence of a shared light sighting is considerably better supported than the existence of a giant craft.[Wikipedia]WikipediaJapan Air Lines Cargo Flight 1628Japan Air Lines Cargo Flight 1628
Where Their Accounts Diverged
The key disagreement concerns the nature of the phenomenon.
Terauchi eventually described a massive object that he believed was far larger than his Boeing 747. He interpreted the visible lights as parts of a single enormous craft concealed in darkness. In some descriptions he estimated the object to be comparable to, or larger than, an aircraft carrier.[UPI]upi.comJAL pilot describes UFOJAL pilot describes UFO - UPI Archives31 Dec 1986 — Terauchi referred to the objects as 'the two small ships and the mother ship,' and…
The other crew members did not provide matching descriptions. Later reviews of the interviews found that neither Tamefuji nor Tsukuba clearly corroborated the captain’s giant-craft interpretation. Their testimony supported the presence of unusual lights but stopped short of confirming that they had seen the same immense object Terauchi believed he had observed.[centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com]centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.comSpecial ReportsThe FAA data package reveals. Terauchi to be a "UFO repeater," with two other UFO sightings prior to. November 17, and two…
This difference matters because the famous version of the story often implies three independent witnesses all saw the same gigantic spacecraft. The available records support a weaker claim: three witnesses saw unusual lights, while only one witness confidently interpreted those lights as belonging to an enormous structured vehicle.[centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com]centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.comSpecial ReportsThe FAA data package reveals. Terauchi to be a "UFO repeater," with two other UFO sightings prior to. November 17, and two…
Why the Giant Craft May Have Been a Matter of Interpretation
One reason for the discrepancy is that seeing lights does not necessarily mean seeing the structure associated with those lights.
At night, observers often perceive bright points more clearly than any surrounding object. If lights are separated by darkness, different witnesses may mentally connect them in different ways. One person may perceive individual lights; another may infer a larger shape joining them together. This possibility was discussed by investigators examining the JAL 1628 case and helps explain why agreement on lights did not automatically produce agreement on a mothership.[centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com]centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.comSpecial ReportsThe FAA data package reveals. Terauchi to be a "UFO repeater," with two other UFO sightings prior to. November 17, and two…
The issue became more complicated because the alleged large object was described as mostly dark. If the body of the craft was difficult to see directly, then the interpretation depended heavily on how each witness understood the spatial relationship between the lights and the surrounding darkness.[skepticalinquirer.org]skepticalinquirer.orgTerauchi's Marvelous 'Spaceship'During his January 2 interview with FAA officials, Terauchi said that he believed the “mothership” intent…
This does not prove Terauchi was mistaken. It does mean that his conclusion was not independently confirmed by the other two people in the cockpit.[centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com]centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.comSpecial ReportsThe FAA data package reveals. Terauchi to be a "UFO repeater," with two other UFO sightings prior to. November 17, and two…
How Later Retellings Changed the Story
As the incident entered UFO literature, documentaries and popular media, the distinction between “shared lights” and “shared mothership” often faded.
Many summaries state that the crew saw a giant UFO, which is technically true if “crew” means that at least one crew member reported it. However, that wording can leave readers with the impression that all three observers independently described the same enormous object. The surviving interview material does not support such a strong claim.[centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com]centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.comSpecial ReportsThe FAA data package reveals. Terauchi to be a "UFO repeater," with two other UFO sightings prior to. November 17, and two…
Some contemporary news coverage emphasised Terauchi’s dramatic sketches and estimates of size, while later sceptical reviews highlighted the inconsistencies between the separate crew interviews. Both elements are part of the historical record, but they describe different levels of certainty.[UPI]upi.comJAL pilot describes UFOJAL pilot describes UFO - UPI Archives31 Dec 1986 — Terauchi referred to the objects as 'the two small ships and the mother ship,' and…
As a result, the JAL 1628 encounter occupies an unusual position in Alaska’s UFO history. It remains a credible multi-witness report of unexplained lights observed from a commercial aircraft, yet the most extraordinary feature of the story—the gigantic mothership—is supported mainly by the captain’s interpretation rather than by unanimous crew testimony.[centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com]centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.comSpecial ReportsThe FAA data package reveals. Terauchi to be a "UFO repeater," with two other UFO sightings prior to. November 17, and two…
What the Crew Testimony Ultimately Shows
The evidence is strongest for a shared observation of unusual lights and weakest for a shared observation of a vast structured craft.
All three crew members appear to have witnessed something that they considered unusual enough to discuss and report. However, the famous image of an immense mothership trailing the aircraft cannot be treated as a three-witness observation in the same way. The available interviews indicate that Terauchi was the principal source of that interpretation, while Tamefuji and Tsukuba offered more limited and cautious descriptions.[amazonaws.com]centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.comSpecial ReportsThe FAA data package reveals. Terauchi to be a "UFO repeater," with two other UFO sightings prior to. November 17, and two…
For readers assessing the JAL 1628 case today, that distinction is one of the most important pieces of evidence. The encounter remains intriguing, but its strongest documented claim is that three experienced aircrew saw unusual lights over Alaska—not that three witnesses independently confirmed a giant extraterrestrial craft.[centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com]centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.comSpecial ReportsThe FAA data package reveals. Terauchi to be a "UFO repeater," with two other UFO sightings prior to. November 17, and two…
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Endnotes
1.
Source: centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com
Link:https://centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/1987/07/22165315/p04.pdf
Source snippet
Special ReportsThe FAA data package reveals. Terauchi to be a "UFO repeater," with two other UFO sightings prior to. November 17, and two...
2.
Source: Wikipedia
Title: Japan Air Lines Cargo Flight 1628
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Air_Lines_Cargo_Flight_1628
3.
Source: skepticalinquirer.org
Link:https://skepticalinquirer.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2014/11/p19.pdf
Source snippet
Terauchi's Marvelous 'Spaceship'During his January 2 interview with FAA officials, Terauchi said that he believed the “mothership” intent...
4.
Source: upi.com
Title: JAL pilot describes UFO
Link:https://www.upi.com/Archives/1986/12/31/JAL-pilot-describes-UFO/6559536389200/
Source snippet
JAL pilot describes UFO - UPI Archives31 Dec 1986 — Terauchi referred to the objects as 'the two small ships and the mother ship,' and...
5.
Source: upi.com
Title: Radar review fails to confirm UFO
Link:https://www.upi.com/Archives/1987/01/08/Radar-review-fails-to-confirm-UFO/8875537080400/
Source snippet
Radar review fails to confirm UFO - UPI Archives8 Jan 1987 — In his second interview with the FAA Tuesday, Tamefuji reiterated that he...
6.
Source: discoveryuk.com
Title: long haul the flight 1628 ufo
Link:https://www.discoveryuk.com/mysteries/long-haul-the-flight-1628-ufo/
7.
Source: upi.com
Title: Controller confirms UFO sighting
Link:https://www.upi.com/Archives/1986/12/30/Controller-confirms-UFO-sighting/4431536302800/
8.
Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz-oYFX-3cs
Source snippet
Japan Airlines Flight 1628 - UFO Incident Animation...
9.
Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXNfyOVoi7g
Source snippet
Boeing 747 Followed by a UFO — What Happened Next Was Terrifying | Japan Air Lines Flight 1628...
10.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Pilot Encounters Flying Object The Size Of 4 Aircraft Carriers!
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7ECp2Ldtpw
Source snippet
JAL 1628 - A Model for Investigating UAP Events...
11.
Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcDgc3cYN4Q
Additional References
12.
Source: thedebrief.org
Title: what really happened to japan airlines flight 1628 in 1986
Link:https://thedebrief.org/what-really-happened-to-japan-airlines-flight-1628-in-1986/
Source snippet
The DebriefWhat Really Happened to Japan Airlines Flight 1628 in...7 Jun 2021 — The story told by Captain Terauchi, potentially corrobor...
13.
Source: latimes.com
Title: la xpm 1987 01 01 mn 1922 story
Link:https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-01-01-mn-1922-story.html
Source snippet
Los Angeles TimesPlane Maneuvered to Avoid Object: Pilot Recounts...1 Jan 1987 — A veteran pilot whose UFO sighting was confirmed on ra...
14.
Source: documents.theblackvault.com
Link:https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/ufos/jal1628/733667-001-005.pdf
Source snippet
JAL Flight 1628Captain Terauchi stated visual sight of the UAT was lost approximately 40 nautical miles north of Talkeetna, while continu...
15.
Source: documents.theblackvault.com
Link:https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/ufos/jal1628/733667-001-024.pdf
Source snippet
733667-001-024.pdf23 Feb 1987 — Captain Terauchi said at the FAA interview that he thought the unusual lights he saw were those village l...
16.
Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwjPWOs1v_I
Source snippet
Pilot Encounters Flying Object The Size Of 4 Aircraft Carriers...
17.
Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxjc4Nm728M
18.
Source: americanghostwalks.com
Title: haunted alaskan skies 1986 s japan airlines flight 1628 ufo encounter
Link:https://www.americanghostwalks.com/haunted-alaskan-skies-1986-s-japan-airlines-flight-1628-ufo-encounter
19.
Source: reddit.com
Link:https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/8vcrvw/the_mysterious_and_otherworldly_flight_of_japan/
20.
Source: reddit.com
Title: the ufo encounter so disturbing the cia buried it
Link:https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/1kgy7o7/the_ufo_encounter_so_disturbing_the_cia_buried_it/
21.
Source: ufoconnect.com
Title: japan airlines flight 1628 incident
Link:https://ufoconnect.com/japan-airlines-flight-1628-incident/