Case study · CASE-019 · Aviation / radar

Japan Airlines Flight 1628

OpenOpen / disputedWhere Alaska, USAWhen 1986-11-17

Case

Overview: Cargo flight crew described unusual lights/objects; FAA interviews and records survive.
Investigative phases: Flight report; FAA inquiry; crew interviews; radar discussion
Reported phenomena: Visual lights and alleged radar correspondence
Public evidence status: FAA record series and crew interviews are publicly archived; original sensor data completeness varies
Alternative explanations / caveats: Radar interpretation disputed; some radar returns may have ordinary causes; eyewitness reports not proof of unusual craft
Next research tasks: Obtain full FAA file and original radar material; separate contemporaneous from retrospective statements
Last reviewed: 2026-10-29

Event date: 1986-11-17
Source category: Contemporaneous government records
Original data accessibility: Partial
Witness / instrument basis: Multiple witnesses / reported radar
Corroboration limitations: Radar interpretation disputed; some radar returns may have ordinary causes; eyewitness reports not proof of unusual craft
Extraordinary claim assessment: Open / disputed
Current status: Open / disputed
Priority research task: Obtain full FAA file and original radar material; separate contemporaneous from retrospective statements
Lead source ID: SRC-101
Last reviewed: 2026-10-29

Primary record / original reporting: Japan Airlines Flight 1628 Claim unverified
CE-120 · 1986-11-17 · Contemporaneous government records
Gaps: Radar interpretation disputed; some radar returns may have ordinary causes; eyewitness reports not proof of unusual craft

0 readable here · 1 with a linked primary record · 0 still need a document · All cases on the evidence map