Japan Air Lines Boeing 747 cargo captain whose November 1986 over-Alaska encounter with an unidentified object was tracked on FAA radar. The case was handled by FAA division chief John Callahan, whose retained briefing materials were later made public.
Capt. Kenju Terauchi was a veteran pilot for Japan Airlines who commanded Flight 1628 during a profound UAP encounter over Alaska in 1986. He reported being paced by two smaller objects and a massive, walnut-shaped craft that dwarfed his Boeing 747, an observation partially corroborated by civilian radar data. Terauchi's key contribution is his detailed documentation and media transparency regarding the event, which resulted in his temporary grounding by the airline due to the associated professional stigma. His encounter remains one of the most well-documented commercial aviation sightings involving multi-sensor confirmation and extended visual contact. Terauchi's willingness to speak out highlighted the severe professional risks faced by commercial pilots reporting anomalous phenomena.