Captain Kenju Terauchi

Flight Experience and Credentials

Captain Kenju Terauchi was an ex-fighter pilot with an exemplary 29-year career with Japan Airlines, accumulating over 10,000 flight hours. His extensive aviation background and professional standing made him one of the most credible witnesses to file a formal UFO report with aviation authorities.

The JAL 1628 Encounter (November 17, 1986)

On November 17, 1986, Captain Terauchi commanded a Boeing 747-200F cargo aircraft en route from Paris Charles De Gaulle to Narita International Airport with a cargo of Beaujolais wine. At 17:11 Alaska time near Fort Yukon at 35,000 feet altitude, he and his crew—First Officer Takanori Tamefuji and Flight Engineer Yoshio Tsukuba—observed three unidentified objects.

Terauchi described seeing two smaller craft that "rose from below and closed in to escort the aircraft," each displaying rectangular arrays of what appeared to be glowing nozzles or thrusters. After approximately 50 minutes of close observation, a massive "mothership" materialized, which Terauchi described as "no less than twice the size of an aircraft carrier." He reported that when the objects drew closest, his cockpit was illuminated with pulsating light and he could feel their heat on his face. Terauchi maintained detailed sketches of all three objects during the encounter.

Corroboration and Official Documentation

What distinguishes this case from typical UFO reports is the independent corroboration: the sightings were simultaneously tracked on three separate radar systems—the aircraft's own radar, FAA Anchorage Center radar, and military radar. FAA air traffic controllers confirmed receipt of Terauchi's reports and documented the radar anomalies. Declassified FAA, CIA, and military documents provide official records of the incident.

Professional Consequences

Despite his professional conduct—maintaining aircraft control, following all required procedures, and successfully delivering his cargo—Terauchi was grounded by JAL following the incident. The FAA characterized him as a "UFO repeater," and official explanations suggested he may have mistaken the planets Jupiter and Mars for spacecraft. However, this explanation was inconsistent with the radar data and the duration of the sighting.

Terauchi's willingness to report the incident despite foreknowledge of professional costs demonstrates the integrity that characterized his credible testimony.

Legacy

The JAL 1628 incident stands as one of aviation's most thoroughly documented UFO encounters, combining pilot testimony from three experienced professionals, contemporaneous air traffic control records, multiple radar confirmations, and declassified government documents. Terauchi's meticulous observations and the corroborating evidence have made this one of the benchmark cases for serious UFO research.