NARA-JAL1628-733667-001-008 — JAL 1628: transcript of FAA interview with Capt. Terauchi by Dick Gordon (2 Jan 1987)

Full text

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RECORD OF INTERVIEW WITH JAL CAPTAIN
Richard Gordon, Manager, FSD0-63
Kenju Terauchi, Captain, JAL
Frank Fujii, Interpretor, JAL
Sayoko Mimoto, FAA Airways Facilities
Mr . Shinbashi, Station Manager
On January 2, 1987, Inspector Richard 0. Gordon, FSD0-63, and Japanese
Interpertor Sayoko Mimoto, FAA Airways Facilities, interviewed JAL
Captain Kenju Terauchi at JAL Operations, Anchorage, Alaska. The interview
was conducted for the purpose of gathering first-hand witness testimony with
regard to a sighting on November 17, 1986, by Captain Terauchi and his crew of
an unidentified flying object. The following text is a record of t he
interview :
R. Gordon

Think what I'm going to . . •

Garbled
R. Gordon

I have a, oh, a few questions here, and I'll be glad to let you
read them and it's just some clarification because I didn't do
it, but one of the people that work for me, I'm the office
manager over here at the FSDO, the Flight Standards Office. And
Jack Wright, one of my people came over and met with the Captain
the first night • • .

K. Terauchi

Oh yeah.

R~

Gordon

Jack Wright gave you his card . • •

K. Terauchi

Yeah.

R. Gordon

Well then that's what Jack wrote down here. Well when they came
I was out of town, I was in Washington DC, but when I came back,
then I asked a couple questions and then the Administrator is
asking some questions and I said, well we don't know we didn't
ask that, so they gave me that list of questions right there, and
we'll just address them along the way and then talk about them.

K. Terauchi

Okay.

R. Gordon

And it's almost reiterating what we've been through already on
this thing.

K. Terauchi

Sometimes, sometimes.

F . Fujii

Reiterating questions, but, was this the first experience,
Captain?

K. Terauchi

No, third time .

R. Gordon

This is the third time that ah that you've seen, where, in the
same area or . • •
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K. Terauchi

No, no, no . • . um, ah I saw, um, mothership.
Formosa, south of Formosa.

Taipai, Kushung,

R. Gordon

Around, near Formosa.

K. Terauchi

Yeah ah no

F. Fujii

This Tiapai mainland China

R. Gordon

Uh uh

K. Terauchi

And Taipai, Kushung is here, so ah this cargo flight ah I took
off ah 2 am midnight, after midnight, after takeoff. When we
start climb we saw left-hand side big mothership, but ah • . • it
was so wierd, I ignored it (did not look).

F. Fujii

Cause he wasn't feeling well • . .

R. Gordon

No I can understand that, but that was the first time?

K. Terauchi

Big Ship - yes and the second time ah, the, in my home I saw a
sky clear daytime; ah, we can, we saw bright lights, I guess
maybe ah 10,000 feet so ah . • . the light continued for about
ten minutes.

F. Fujii

The light continued for about ten minut~s, so ah disappeared
suddenly.

K. Terauchi

It's ah I guess this one.

R. Gordon

Okay now this one you saw off mainland China what timeframe did
that happen, when did that happen?

F. Fujii

What - time was it?

K. Terauchi

2 am

R. Gordon

When last month
Interruption

R. Gordon

Okay, excuse me one moment, but ah • • • Okay Frank I was trying
to figure out that first sighting last year or this year

K. Terauchi

Five years ago

R. Gordon

Oh five years ago, just trying to get the timeframe that we
sighted these things ah, the next one was that we wanted to talk
about •

F. Fujii

Was it the first experience for the crew members?

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R. Gordon

First time for t he other crew me mbers, okay that's fine.

K. Terauchi

I think it was the first time.

F . Fujii

Who was the first person who saw it?

K. Terauchi

It was me.

F. Fujii

What did you notice at first?

K. Te rauchi

During first time we saw light, I think a navigation light.

R. Gordon

Ah ha, but you saw it visually first you didn't pick it up on
r a dar or anything you just saw some light out there, okay and
that really coinsides with the air traffic statement, you called
and said do you have any traffic in my area

K. Terauchi

Yeah, yeah before, before, about six minutes before I saw this
one so ah • . •

R. Gordon

You were watching him for about five or six minutes before you
called •

K. Terauchi

Before I contact Anchorage Center

R. Gordon

Ah ah, okay

F . Fujii

Okay fourth question, what did you see exactly shape, light, and
all, the shape, lighting, etc.

R. Gordon

Well if you can just explain these to me cause it looks like
you've done alot of drawing here so it's not necessary for you to
redraw all this stuff

K. Terauchi

This light was amber and whitish, but, when it came to here it
wa s only amber •
white light. Why don't I understand.
(Japanese) right

F . Fujii

First of all it's like amber and whitish color, came closely it
seems like all the output exhaust position of the jets, all these
Challenger

R. Gordon

Look like something like after burners • • • okay okay, like each
one of these was an individual exhaust

?

Yes

R. Gordon

Okay

K. Terauchi

So this light is special like (Japanese) when ah Challenger, yes
like Challenger took off amount of flame going on, we can't see
Challenger by this flame

& F . Fujii

I

saw it in

- inside.

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R. Gordon

Okay, yes

K. Terauchi

But this one is nozzle direction (Japanese)(garbled) we couldn't
see this light this direction we could see big flame

R. Gordon

Maybe we're saying then if you're looking at the back of it and
then when it turns sideways this doesn't show. Okay I
understand.

F. Fujii

From the forward you could see the flame and the exhaust and
flame were surrounding it.

R. Gordon

Okay

F. Fujii

So maybe ah, I - I think ah, um exhaust started (garbled)

R. Gordon

Being okay these things here, maybe being each one of these
things here, so these were maybe stacked, in otherwards if you
were looking at the top view down, you would just see one if you
come around here you would see all of those lights. Okay yeah

K. Terauchi

So if they moved up or I guess this ah exhaust moved to ah, this
way down so finally five years ago I saw the rocket.

R. Gordon

Maybe that would account for that bright light he saw five years
ago. In otherwords if these turned down you couldn't see them
and then when it looked like it moved over here some over here
turned up and then you could see them where it looked like it
moved over there? So you're saying •

K. Terauchi

Anyway a h (Japanese) right (Japanese) • • • Talk to me • . •
Could not see but only here and here • • • and this, here, dark
area, I saw sparks, like fire. When using gasoline or carbon
fuel. You can see a great big flame, but I could not see (flame)
a t all in this angle, although there was a big blast.

F. Fujii

Seems like it's really high technology because you can't see
anything over here unless it's spinning rotation.

R. Gordon

Yeah, okay, yeah, somebody said sometimes the sparks kick over
into that and you could see the exhaust, now with ah that in mind
this other picture you have here, where would this be on this
thing captain?

F. Fujii

Wha t you're asking hi m where this (garbled) • • •

K. Terauchi

Quite different, this is just small space ship, this one size of
carrier, two times carrier so mothership, so ah after they flew
with us three ah five minutes like home mission, then move to a
mothership. So t hen I found mothership light, but this is not
llght, al l engine, because ah we have contact seven or e ight mile
here, so we saw this first lights, s o um after light contact a h
they move behind so we saw this pairs of light, so we saw this
light same size, this one, same size.

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R. Gordon

Same distance apart
Now do you think that was just the
mothership and then these little things were • • •

K. Terauchi

But, yes, that right

R. Gordon

I mean they were moving along, at that time where were these
lights, captain?

F. Fujii

(Japanese) disappear

R. Gordon

Okay, okay

K. Terauchi

Then we find this light, so I think this one is light, but I
think now this is engine, so ah, same type of engine, the same
logic • • • the same type of engine. This one and this one, the
same logic, this point and this point are the same just bigger i n
size. This is the small one so it looked like this, but the
bigger one, I could not see but only here, small size, big size,
same technology. Yeah

R. Gordon

Oh, oh

F. Fujii

The mothership seems like it, he said that, this, this, same
technology, type of engine

R. Gordon

Well they're alot, much larger.

K. Terauchi

Yes, much larger •

R. Gordon

So this right here would be ah, sit ting . • .

S. Mimoto

No, this light is sitting here

K. Terauchi

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah • • •

R. Gordon

Only much larger (garbled)

K. Te r auchi

Yeah much larger, much power. But, this color is whi te uh • • •
it's ah um dark white pole • • • weak light . • •
(unintelligible)

R. Gordon

Maybe because it's so much bigger.

K. Terauc hi

Yea h

R. Gordon

Now this distance, now you were speaking of these were fairly
close uh?

K. Te r auchi

Hum uh, ah distances is ah, ah, not this, this one a h, 500, a h
betwe en 500 and 1,000 f ee t.

R. Gordon

Oka y , out from you, and then i t took off and we nt out here and
maybe this is, ah, you said five to seven miles or somethihg on
the r a dar.

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K. Terauchi

A no, seven, seven or eight miles.

R. Gordon

Okay seven or eight miles, that's what they were saying on the
radar.

K. Terauchi

Yeah, this later, so we saw about seven or eight miles . . .

R. Gordon

Okay

K. Terauchi

And, 60 degrees left . • .

R. Gordon

Okay

K. Terauchi

So out in here small ship is disappear.

R. Gordon

Okay, I understand, now lets (unintelligible) what else, see if I
forget anything, visual was a first, what, you showed me exactly
what you saw. Visually sighting, you saw it first uh?

K. Terauchi

First

R. Gordon

Okay

F. Fujii

And (unintelligible) probably how long had you contacted the
target.

R. Gordon

No that's what we were saying, five to six minutes before you
called ATC.

K. Terauchi

Ye~h,

R. Gordon

Okay, did the other crew have trouble sighting the object?

F. Fujii

Did the rest of the crew see the lights?

K. Terauchi

(More Japanese) So I tried to fix it, but I ah, failed.

yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's right.

Laughter
K. Terauchi

Just, shutter was open, did not close, so • • •

F. Fujii

Yes every crew has seen it.

R. Gordon

Okay all the crew members they did see it. Okay.
Yeah that's what I would do (more laughter)

F. Fujii

What type of onboard radar?

R. Gordon

Yeah, what type of radar was onboard, that ah ?

K. Terauchi

It was the kind, ditigal, but I don not know.

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Laughter • . .

Page 7

R. Gordon

Digital color?

K. Terauchi

Yes colored, digital

R. Gordon

Okay, fine, yeah, that's all we need! I don't need to know
numbers. Ah did the target appear on the radar as unusual or; or
solid target or intermitt . • •

F. Fujii

Was it clear?

K. Terauchi

Clearly, clearly

R. Gordon

Very clearly

K. Terauchi

But, ah, ah, strong, ah return signal is strong in case of a
storm, show ah red, and next yellow.

R. Gordon

Okay

?

The, but weak is green

R. Gordon

Right.

K. Terauchi

So ah is green light.

R. Gordon

It showed green

K. Terauchi

Green

R. Gordon

Okay, yeah, that's, that's where even some of the stuff could get
through it, like when you take a picture of a cloud on the
radar •

K. Terauchi

Oh yeah •

R. Gordon

If it's green, but if it's got heavy rain in it or thunderstorm
in it then it shows red • • •

K. Terauchi

Yes, yes

R. Gordon

So it's light green, maybe the waves can go through this thing.
Okay so it showed green on the radar, on the color radar.

F. Fujii

When did you pick it up, the radar?

K. Terauchi

Time?

F. Fujii

Time, is it by time, when?

R. Gordon

Oh after, how long after you saw it with your eyes did you pick
it up on the radar?

K. Tera uchi

Okay ah, um seven minutes , five minute, makes it twelve minutes,
so, ah, fifteen minutes after contact.

...

...

Time?

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R. Gordon

Fifteen minutes after you visually contacted it, okay, okay.

K. Terauchi

Yeah, fifteen minutes

R. Gordon

See, it just says did you paint anything that's did you see
anything else on the radar, weather or anything else • • •

K. Terauchi

No, no, nothing.

R. Gordon

Just that target

K. Terauchi

Yeah, yes, yes.

R. Gordon

Okay, okay
target

F. Fujii

How about the aircraft, any turbulence?

K. Terauchi

No, ah, no

R. Gordon

No, no turbulence, no turbulence at all, okay.
on all the time.

K. Terauchi

Yeah •

R. Gordon

Okay

K. Terauchi

Working good

R. Gordon

Good, (laughter)

F. Fujii

Now how about communications, naviagion, or interferring of any
sort • • • ?

K. Terauchi

This ah small aircraft near the here, so ah all the way VHF
transmit on (unintelligible) with ah some we got a like some kind
of . • • like ah, jamming.

R. Gordon

Some kind of interference?

K. Terauchi

Interference.

R. Gordon

On the VHF?

K. Terauchi

Yes then this one leave for rnothership

R. Gordon

Ah ha

K. Terauchi

Back to normal(?)

R. Gordon

Okay, did you say it's like German talking uh?

• when ah • • •

The only thing we saw on the radar then was that

8

...

Autopilot stayed

Page 9

K. Terauchi

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

R. Gordon

Okay

S. Mimoto

Was it's sound like speaking in German, or just jamming noise?

K. Terauchi

It was just noise, sounded zaa, zaa

R. Gordon

Oh just noise • • . Okay, okay I misunderstood you, I'm glad you
brought that out.

K. Terauchi

Normally when you can hear clearly it is digital 5.
1 - but it was about 2.

F. Fujii

You know five by five radio communication

R. Gordon

Oh yeah uh hu, okay sure

F. Fujii

It was like two

R. Gordon

Okay okay, like two

K. Terauchi

Sometimes missing, sometimes missing.

R. Gordon

Like, almost like, ah, ba ckground noise?

K. Terauchi

Yes, yes.

R. Gordon

Okay, and then when it, when the little small lights departed the
noise went away, then back to real clear communications?

K. Te r auchi

Yes, that's right.

R. Gordon

Okay, fine, ah, lets see, I'm going to come back to thirteen,
because ah • • •

F. Fujii

Oka y

R. Gordon

What was there any question?

F. Fujii

Did you see any reflection on the glass (window)?

R. Gordon

Inside the cockpit, was it dark, all the light off inside the
cockpit?

K. Te r auchi

Oh a h, dark yeah, yeah, yeah.

K. Terauchi

Therefore, there was not reflection of inside. No reflection
from inside. So when I took the camera bag, finding t he object,
a ll the light s were turned off, made room dark - cargo room and
passenge r r oom, the re was nothing to reflect.

F. Fuj ii

We ha ve ah , on a cargo plane we ha ve a ba ck lounge .

9

5, 4, 3, 2 ,

Page 10

R. Gordon

Yeah, I'm familiar with it, yeah I've been on there.

F. Fujii

So he turned the light off on that, because they were trying to
take a photo.

R. Gordon

Okay, okay

F. Fujii

So the (unintelligible) was dark.

R. Gordon

Okay, that's good, I just wanted to make sure that everything in
the cockpit you know, you see something and then you turn the
light cause, me being a pilot, normally when I see something out
there I'll turn the lights off and get everything dark inside.

K. Terauchi

Yes that's right.

F. Fujii

When you changed you aircraft position, did they make any special
moves?

K. Terauchi

No, they didn't. See here, I began to circle 360 degrees, they
stayed at the same position with us.

F. Fujii

Uh uh, same position

K. Terauchi

Same position, same position, same position all the way
(unintelligible)

R. Gordon

Okay following you right around uh?

K. Terauchi

Yes

R. Gordon

And it was here, and then here, and here, and here, and then you
rolled out and it was right there, okay.

K. Terauchi

So ah, ah, I tried next, ah, descent, 3, 5,

R. Gordon

Ah ah, okay,

uh?

o, 3, 1 ' o.

3, 1 ' O, when you descended to 3, 1 ' O, still there

K. Terauchi

Yeah, same formation, uh formation descent • • • formation
descent. It was impressive, the same formation, smooth!

R. Gordon

Okay

K. Terauchi

We, we used autopilot when descending, so (unintelligible).

R. Gordon

Okay, yeah, yeah went right down with him, okay uh • • •

F. Fujii

Can we go to the next one?

R. Gordon

Sure, yeah, I was just was ah • • •

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F . Fujii

Size, estimate, ah, size

K. Terauchi

(More Japanese) Two times, or ah, I guess ah

F. Fujii

(unintelligible) seven four seven

R. Gordon

Okay

K. Terauchi

So ah, size is ah, carrier

R. Gor don

Ah uh, in other words this being the jumbo jet was about as big
ss just the light • . • ?

K. Terauchi

See this is the jumbo jet.

R. Gordon

Okay, okay, I have • . • so the side light on this thing was
sbout, the jumbo is about two to two-and-a-half time the size of
this light, so when you stack 'em up, you • . •

K. Terauchi

Yeah, yeah, yeah • • •

R. Gordon

...

1.5, two times this light.

were saying about two times as big as an aircraft carrier.

K. Terauchi

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

R. Gordon

Okay

K. Terauchi

It felt like this big - (he made a circle by using his fingers);
seven to eight miles away and it was this big. Normally, an air
carrier is seven - eight miles away, it looks like this.

F. Fujii

Seven or eight miles away, usually the aircrafts are like
this •

R. Gordon

Ah uh, okay

F. Fujii

About this big so

R. Gordon

Okay

F. Fujii

...

with his estimate.

R. Gordon

So he's kinda comparing it to another jumbo jet?

F. Fujii

Yeah, yeah

R. Gordon

Okay

s . Mimoto

(More Japanese) Tremendous

R. Gordon

Oh yeah (laughter) , boy, okay

F . Fujii

Go for this size here, this one.

...

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R. Gordon

Yeah, let's see what would you estimate the size of the small
ships to be?

K. Terauchi

Ah • • • (unintelligible), up here equal to (unintelligible) we
saw, ah, second (unintelligible), square, but I saw this on here,
ah here, for so I guess this one is maybe separate, separate,
then move to here. So ah, ah, (Japanese).

R. Gordon

Right, yeah, ah uh.

S. Mimoto

if this one was two stacked together, how large was one?

K. Terauchi

This here ah fuselage, fuselage of DC-8, DC-8 fuselage.

R. Gordon

DC-8, okay • • • yeah ah uh, in other words this part right here
would be like fuselage of a DC-8.

K. Terauchi

Oh yes •

R. Gordon

Like this .

K. Terauchi

Yeah, yeah, yeah

R. Gordon

Okay

K. Terauchi

Maybe, maybe about like this

R. Gordon

Uh ah, yeah I understand, okay, I got it.

F. Fujii

Any other lighted or unlight objects, any other lights?

K. Terauchi

Yeah, we saw ah, some unusual light from ah, top of mothership.

R. Gordon

Uh ah

K. Terauchi

Ah, it was not regular, but - not regularly, but white silverish lights, not in equal span of time, but occasionally
flashed, irregularly lighted at all times.

S. Mimoto

Occasional flash

K. Terauchi

Flash, flash

R. Gordon

And since I've got this on tape, if you will help me later, you
know when we write this down, because I can't remember all this
stuff. Thank you.

K. Terauchi

(Japanese) First time we cannot see ah, this (unintelligible) so
ah, ah, we saw this light, this light, and •

R. Gordon

Ah uh, okay, thank you very much.

12

That's good.

Page 13

F. Fujii

(Japanese) No ah magnetic

K. Terauchi

No ah no •

R. Gordon

No gages, or the instruments or the RMI on everything stayed
okay, no magnetic disturbances? Okay. Ah, did the intensity of
the objects lights change? I think he just explained that didn't
he on that ah • • •

S. Mimoto

(unintelligible) you mean intensity of light?

R. Gordon

No on this object here, did the, did the intensity of these
lights change, and I think he just explained that, ah

F. Fujii

You mean by distance, right?

R. Gordon

No the intensity, the brightness of the, ah

s. Mimoto

(unintelligible)

F. Fujii

Did the intensity of lights change?

K. Terauchi

No, it did not change.

R. Gordon

They didn't change, huh?

K. Terauchi

Steady, steady.

R. Gordon

Okay, the intensity was steady?

K. Terauchi

Yes

K. Terauchi

Visibility ah, more clear, all the way clear, clear sky.

R. Gordon

Okay • • •

K. Terauchi

Clear sky

R. Gordon

How about visibilty? What would you estimate, you know when
you're coming down from up there where we enter over Alaska where
you come off the sea and hit Alaska, you come up a ways and then
you can see Fairbanks out here, no problems seeing Fairbanks?

K. Terauchi

When flying over Fort Yukon • • •

R. Gordon

Fort Yukon, yeah.

K. Terauchi

We can see ah Fairbanks and Eilsen Air Base.

R. Gordon

Okay, yes, good, that's real clear, that's that's fine.

Shinbashi

It was near full moon wasn't it?

13

...

Page 14

K. Terauchi

But we came this way. Full moon (unintelligible) Greenland,
after we, we cross ah Greenland we saw moon right side
(unintelligible) • • • but moon move to ah behind us so when
crossing the Canadian, Canadian, ah, FLR (unintelligible) so
maybe ah moon, ah stay near the horizon, so we couldn't use the
moon light.

R. Gordon

Ah uh, I understand.

K. Terauchi

(Japanese)

R. Gordon

So the moon was very low?

K. Terauchi

Very low, very low, okay.

R. Gordon

That's good, I appreciate you bringing that up, I didn't think
about the moon, but that's good.

K. Terauchi

Full moon, full moon, was very low, full moon.

R. Gordon

Well that's good, I'm glad you folks did that, uh • • •

K. Terauchi

So ah,

R. Gordon

There's one last question • • •

?

Yes

R. Gordon

This, and it's just threw it in here, is there anything else that
I didn't ask you that you could help us sort this thing out?

K. Terauchi

Ah, yes, they

R. Gordon

Frank, see how that tapes doing.

F. Fujii

Yes, ah uh.

R. Gordon

That's good, because the mike is right there that's super.

K. Terauchi

See it is recoil blasting, just a little bit high here, it is
blasting jets, then if it was at the same altitude as we were, I
assume they are using an atomic energy, there will be some
radiation left on our aircraft. Also the other is, that air
turbulance be created. So they did not want to leave any
evidence of their existance. Also the reason, why they were
there (position) is that they wanted to leave no evidence. See
it is round, the air current goes this way (he is drawing a
picture), see if they were at the same altitude, they would
create air turbulance, but they never positioned when the air
turbulance would disturb us.

R. Gordon

Those are the small one now?

14

We still got plenty?

Page 15

r

K. Terauchi

Yeah. • •

R. Gordon

The little one huh?

K. Terauchi

(Japanese)

F. Fujii

That flight level right there does not leave any evidence, also
if it on the same level, it would give this aircraft a little
turbulence cause of this air.

R. Gordon

You got no turbulence?

K. Terauchi

No turbulence.

R. Gordon

So it's just suspended there, really.

K. Terauchi

(Japanese) Right

F. Fujii

(unintelligible) leave the evidence • • •

R. Gordon

Yeah, well that's what I'm saying, it's so moving, it's either so
areodynamic that it's not causing, so you're saying when he was
right in front of you there was not turbulence and if you had
been that close to another object that large you should have got
some buffetting?

K. Terauchi

Yeah

R. Gordon

Okay, I understand

K. Terauchi

The turbulance would assure their existance, therefore, they
positioned themselves to here from the beginning.

R. Gordon

Yes

K. Terauchi

Certainly, ah approaching Fort Yukon, west side, this side east
side, so ah (unintelligible)(Japanese) big mothership (Japanese),
horizon, sunset, we caught up the sunset, two - three millimeters
strip of it. Then there was the mothership. They never came to
this side. Because of the sunset (if they came to the other
side) they would be seen, their shape by us. They positioned
themselves at the darkest side, difficult place for us to see.
But see, our aircraft was in front of the sunset and visible for
any movement we make. They took the trouble to position
themselves to be in the darkest place. I think they did not want
to be seen.

F. Fujii

He thinks that they don't want, of course they don't want the
ship to see it, so they go to the place where it's dark •

R. Gordon

Yeah

F. Fujii

and because there's a sunset over here, and about one

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Page 16

K. Terauchi

(Japane se) 0.1 ah, inch

F. Fujii

About 0.1 • • •

R. Gordon

Just right on the horizon, the sun was setting?

F. Fujii

Yeah, yes. So they don't want to go toward the ship side, they
stayed away from it.

R. Gordon

Toward the dark side.

F. Fujii

Yes

R. Gordon

So that would have put them to the east like on the Canadian side
you're coming down on your side (unintelligible) captain's side?

K. Terauchi

Yes

R. Gordon

Okay I understand.

K. Terauchi

I think, perhaps, they have regulations like they must not be
seen by humans. But it was a surprise to see the sudden
appearance in front of us. If the machine was set automatically
for the distance of eight miles away from us, the machine will
not come closer than eight miles (but they jumped in front of
us), so I felt there was a living creature in it. It jumped in
front of us, very unusual. They took such unexpected action.
Try the other one(?)

F. Fujii

Seems like they're trying to stay away, I guess there's some kind
of regulation for them to not be seen by • • •

R. Gordon

Ah uh, I understand. I have one more question that came up that
I was thinking; now when he departed, departed east? Is that
what someone told me; which direction did, when he departed, went
away?

F. Fujii

Which direction did it take off to?

K. Terauchi

I don't know.

F. Fujii

He thinks it's east, he's not really sure.
and it just dissappeared, so • • •

R. Gordon

Okay, appeared that it went east, but it went so fast?

K. Terauchi

So fast.

R. Gordon

Okay

F. Fujii

He wa s watching it and it just disappeared • • •

Probably to the east.

16

He was looking at it

Page 17

R. Gordon

Okay, fine. Well I can't think of anything else I need to ask
you, ah, I really appreciate you taking time to talk to us,
because it's very, very interesting and we need to see if we can
figure out what is there, you know.

K. Terauchi

So ah, one things, they ah, completely they're controled of
inertial and gravity. Yeah, so their technology was unthinkable.
Unimaginable high technology.

F. Fujii

High tech.

R. Gordon

Oh yeah, it just sounds like it. All I can say is let's hope
they're on our side • • • (laughter)

Shinbashi

This kind of information (unintelligible) before?

R. Gordon

No I can't, I haven't so that's why we're trying to get as much
information as we have; we're going to send it back to
Washington DC, and have them try to marry it up with anything
like this before and then maybe we can say, oh, it happened here,
or it happened here • • •

K. Terauchi

Oh yeah

R. Gordon

• other sightings, we have a lot of stuff where pilots have
had other sightings.

K. Terauchi

Oh yes

R. Gordon

So we don't know if these lights and all these pictures you drew;
maybe they'll be the same and it happened in Arizona or New York
or wherever, so we got a place in Washington DC, we'll put them
all together and say is any two of them alike. But, but as we go
through this thing I would be glad to keep you folks informed
and, -Of what we find out, or if we find out anything, but I'll be
glad to tell you and see how we're doing. Could I get those
drawings, if you don't mind ah? I think that's all we need.

K. Terauchi

(unintelligible)

R. Gordon

Yes, yes, you could probably explain that with the thing you have
drawn here. Now these are the same drawings?

K. Terauchi

Oh no, no, no

R. Gordon

Yeah

K. Terauchi

This one, this one, are the same.

R. Gordon

Same

K. Terauchi

So I like (unintelligible)

17

Page 18

R. Gordon

I get a copy of that Frank? Could we take a picture of that, I
would certainly appreciate it. Yes. Alright. I think that's
all, can you think of anything we need.

K. Terauchi

(unintelligible)

R. Gordon

Yes, please if I could have one.

K. Terauchi

Oh yeah. This one is ah (unintelligible) so after this one is ah
(unintelligible) this point ah • • •

R. Gordon

Okay, right about the

K. Terauchi

This point, so we contact Anchorage Center here, so ah two or
three minutes, proceed right direct to Talkeetna, so we flew this
distance • . •

R. Gordon

Okay from that point direct to Talkeetna and ah, and then some so
you went about there you saw this thing.

K. Terauchi

Yes, yes, I saw from here

R. Gordon

Okay, and then maybe five minutes later along here saying
Anchorage do you have anything out there?

K. Terauchi

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah

R. Gordon

Okay I have it.

K. Terauchi

No no, disappear 75 miles north of Talkeetna

R. Gordon

Okay 75 miles north of Talkeetna •

K. Terauchi

Yeah, yeah

R. Gordon

Oh one thing, this track

. . . so ah .

To just about Talkeetna?

• it went away.

S. Mimoto

The small one, not the mothership, were there many light?

K. Terauchi

Oh yes, there were numerous lights. The exhausts on the engine
were lined up all the way, but when they were blasting recoil
jets were so strong I could not see it because it was so bright.
Once the recoil blast stopped, the speed was absolutely steady,
not faster or slower, and I could see them very clearly.

S . Mimoto

Just one group?

K. Terauchi

See there were two, appeared in front of us.
right here
• both exactly the same.

S. Mimoto

Only two?

K. Terauchi

All I saw was two .

18

Right here and

Page 19

R. Gordon

Yeah, I got that out of that other one that there was two and
then it went back to the mothership.

K. Terauchi

Yeah

s. Mimoto

I thought maybe there was more then two.

R. Gordon

Oh I see, I'm glad you asked that.

s. Mimoto

Only two.

R. Gordon

But one was larger then the other like there was two of 'em were
stuck together, right?

s. Mimoto

Then both are the same size, possible got (stuck) together later?

K. Terauchi

Yes, possibly. The one I saw first, it was this long. See if
they were stacked together at the beginning, one must have
returned to the mothership soon after the separtation.

S. Mimoto

This (unintelligible)

R. Gordon

Oh you saw that, and then they separated like they were together

Text continues in the original file (19 pages).

Same location: Alaska

• NARA-JAL1628-733667-001-007 — JAL 1628: written statement by Capt. Terauchi (English translation by Sakoyo Mimoto)
• NARA-JAL1628-733667-001-012 — JAL 1628: FAA chronology of events
• NARA-JAL1628-733667-001-023 — JAL 1628: FAA explanation of the split beacon target
• NARA-JAL1628-733667-001-024 — JAL 1628: FAA public affairs news releases
• NARA-JAL1628-733667-001-025 — JAL 1628: record of communication with the FAA administrator and the U.S. Air Force

Same period: 1986

• DOE-UAP-D003 — Pajarito Astronomers Invitation, 1986