3 UFOs That Science Still Can't Explain

Humans have observed UFOs, now UAP, for thousands of years, with even ancient Roman historians referencing various mysterious and elusive flying vehicles. In the modern era, we've finally achieved the technology to properly investigate and verify most sightings. And the slightly mundane truth is that approximately 95% of them can be attributed to natural or human-led phenomena. But still, the other 5% remain unexplained. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're taking a closer look at three UFOs that science still can't figure out. Number 3. Japan Airlines Cargo Flight 1628 The unidentified flying objects continued to close in. First, the disturbing tale of a flight flanked by unknown entities. Japan Airlines Cargo Flight 1628 was traveling from Paris to Tokyo on November 17, 1986. But while over Alaska, the pilot, Captain Kenji Tadauchi, made an unusual and unsettling observation. Soon, air traffic control picked up a high-speed object, tracking the 747. He reported seeing three peculiar objects that were apparently tailing him. The objects allegedly followed the plane for at least 400 miles, and for roughly an hour of flight time. According to Tadauchi, the seeming formation was made up of two smaller somethings and one larger, resembling a mothership. Tadauchi phoned Anchorage in Alaska for support, and was told to take evasive action. He did that, but the objects persisted, at times apparently flying even closer to the plane, which caused the cabin to become freakishly warm. Eventually, Tadauchi landed in Anchorage, the objects disappeared, and the pilot and crew were interviewed by the Federal Aviation Administration, or the FAA, to ascertain exactly what had happened. According to the FAA, the flight crew appeared professional and rational, they were vastly experienced, and weren't under the influence of drugs or alcohol. There were also two other planes close to the same area, but neither experienced the same or a similar sighting. Radar data was seemingly inconclusive, although at least one of the three unknown objects reportedly did appear on some screens. Officials wavered over whether the incident did or did not represent a true UFO. Although, at the same time, Tadauchi's account is said to have been inconsistent with the details. All of which means that while some explanations have been put forward, nothing has stuck. Some analysts believe that Tadauchi was simply observing the far-off planets Jupiter and Mars, and mistaking them for close-up vehicles. But overall, the vagueness is unsatisfying for many, and science is stumped for an airtight solution. Whatever happened at Japan Airlines 1628, it is now the most documented and thus most famous UFO incident in modern aviation history. Number 2. The 1976 Tehran UFO Incident. For some, this could be the most credible UFO sighting in modern history. It was witnessed by four Iranian military personnel in two separate planes at separate times, plus at least four civilians on the ground. Close to Tehran, the capital of Iran on September 19, 1976, a glittering and suspicious bulk was spotted flying and floating in the sky. It was visually sighted and captured on radar. Initially, one F-4 Phantom was sent up to investigate, carrying two people, including the pilot. The pair was able to confirm the sighting close-hand as a bright and glowing object. However, upon flying closer still, their jet suffered equipment failure and lost communication, only regaining it after retreat. In response, Iran dispatched another plane to follow up, also carrying two people, only for the same thing to happen, equipment malfunctions again and loss of comms again. What's more, with the second flight, after it locked onto the object and prepared to fire, its weapons system blanked and failed. As with almost all UFO cases, there have been various apparent explanations put forward. Again, some attribute the Tehran event to the various individuals involved misinterpreting a natural celestial body. They say that it could have been a planet that was sighted or the remnants of a meteor shower. They further claim that the pilots were likely tired at the time of their experience and that the series of equipment issues may have more simply been coincidental. However, over the years, the debate has rolled on and many just aren't buying it. And given alternative claims that the UFO seemingly interacted with and retaliated against the second plane in particular when its weapons malfunctioned, this object was perhaps not only unexplained but also dangerous. Important information about the Iranian UFO incident may be found in military files in Tehran. But since the ouster of the Shah, the military personnel in this report have been stripped of any privileges or access they were entitled to in imperial Iraq. Until further notice, the door to this case is closed. As was said at the top of this video, UFOs date back to antiquity. They may feel like a newfangled phenomenon, but there are multiple and infamous reported sightings from centuries, even millennia ago, and including from ancient Rome. In 73 BCE, according to the Greek historian Plutarch, who was writing around 150 years after the events he described, an army commanded by Rome's Lucullus was on the cusp of battle with Mithridates VI of Pontus. However, the battle was stalled by something spectacular from the sky. It's said that a large fiery object bore down upon the battlefield and led both sides, at least temporarily, to stop fighting. Unsurprisingly, that large object has been explained away by many as a probable meteor. However, there are aspects to Plutarch's description that give serious cause for doubt. In general, he imbues the object with a metallic look, like burning silver. And this isn't what science would typically expect from a meteor strike. There's also the shape of the object, which is said to have been jug-like. Every meteor is certainly different, but perhaps a jug-like rock from space would be pretty exceptional. Of course, without photographic or video data, and relying solely on just one historical account, there are multiple unknowns. For some, it may be ball lightning that was really encountered all those years ago. But given that it apparently played a pivotal role in shaping and avoiding the war on that particular day, it's a UFO that some have also labeled as a chariot from the gods. Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos. You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them. If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications. On the evening of March 13, 1997, hundreds of people living in Arizona and Nevada reported a massive V-shaped formation of inexplicable lights moving silently through the darkening sky. This was an event that would become the stuff of UFO legend. The famously named Phoenix Lights were visible for hours over an area that covered hundreds of square miles. Witnesses reported what appeared to be a large singular craft or else multiple lights in a perfectly synchronized triangular formation. Some compared the mysterious mass to a carpenter's square and certainly there is nor was no aircraft on earth to match it. The claimed UFO moved so slowly that it looked more like a hovercraft than a plane, but it did eventually disappear over a nearby mountain range. Shortly afterwards, though, at about 10 p.m. the same night, another mass sighting unfolded. This time, stationary lights appeared over the Estrella Mountains southwest of Phoenix. They all hovered in the same spot, then softly disappeared and were captured on video. Although seemingly unrelated, both incidents, the lights in formation and the stationary orbs, shared a distinctly unnerving quality. However, the Phoenix Lights are a bonus for today's video because really, science probably has explained them. Or rather, the U.S. military has. Officially speaking, the lights are said to have been the work of skilled human pilots flying A-10 Thunderbolt II fighter jets on a training exercise out of a nearby base. The stationary lights seen later are said to have been caused by military planes conducting a flare drop. Nevertheless, no other UFO story has as many witnesses as this one, with hundreds, perhaps even thousands of people having gone on record with what they saw that night. Therefore, the cloud of suspicion will perhaps never fully pass. Science has offered up an explanation. But is it the explanation? Is the case truly closed? What's your verdict?