Podcast Summary: Twisted Tales with Heidi Wong

Episode: The Chilling UFO Encounter That Shocked a Family

Date: February 9, 2026
Host: Heidi Wong
Podcast: Twisted Tales (Crime House Original)

Episode Overview

In this chilling episode, poet and paranormal obsessive Heidi Wong delves into the real-life mysteries that inspired the 2009 sci-fi horror film "The Fourth Kind." The focus is on the remote Alaskan town of Nome, a string of unexplained disappearances, the infamous Alaska Triangle, and one of the world's most convincing UFO encounters. Blending fact, folklore, conspiracy, and film, Heidi explores how reality is sometimes far more terrifying than fiction.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Blurred Lines between Horror and Reality (04:17–07:00)

• Heidi opens by dissecting "The Fourth Kind," a film presented as a true story with pseudo-documentary techniques—fake archival footage, therapy sessions, and eyewitness interviews.
• The movie’s marketing fooled many, employing fake newspaper articles using the names of real Alaskan papers, making fact and fiction indistinguishable.
  • "It presents fake archival footage as real. It claims to show actual interviews with abductees. It's a pseudo documentary that uses every documentary technique to make it seem like everything you're watching is true. That's not quite the case. The movie itself is made up and none of the footage is real. But the stories that inspired it. Some of those are 100% true." — Heidi Wong (01:30)

2. Nome, Alaska: Setting for Strange Disappearances (07:01–10:00)

• Nome is an isolated, harsh landscape with fewer than 4,000 residents and only accessible by plane or seasonal barge.
• Since the 1960s, about two dozen people have mysteriously disappeared from Nome and nearby villages.
• The community’s suspicion alternated between theories of a serial killer and supernatural forces.

3. The Alaska Triangle: America’s Bermuda Triangle (10:00–14:15)

• Alaska has its own "triangle," a vast, sparsely inhabited region where thousands have disappeared—twice the national average.
  • "Since 1972, more than 20,000 people have gone missing in the Alaska Triangle." (13:36)
• Notable incidents:
  • 1972: Disappearance of U.S. House Majority Leader Hale Boggs and Congressman Nick Begich—no trace found after massive search.
  • 1950: USAF plane with 44 on board vanished under normal flight conditions—never recovered.
• Theories abound: energy vortexes causing confusion, magnetic anomalies skewing navigational equipment, or supernatural forces at play.
  • "There's one theory that massive energy vortexes exist within the Alaska Triangle. ... It's giving hypnotism. It's giving the same dream. It's giving White Owl." — Heidi Wong (15:19)

4. The Japan Airlines 1628 UFO Incident (1986) – The Main Tale (14:16–19:55)

• November 17, 1986: Captain Kenju Terauchi, a decorated pilot, witnessed and was followed by unidentified lights and a gigantic craft while piloting a 747 cargo plane over Alaska.
  • "At 5:09pm the Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control center radioed in and asked his crew to adjust their course… Out of his left window, just below the plane's altitude, two bright lights appeared." — Heidi Wong (16:04)
• The objects performed impossible maneuvers, did not show on Anchorage radar, but were later found on military radar tapes.
• The event led to a hush-hush meeting with the FAA, FBI, CIA, and Reagan's science advisors—then to an official cover-up.
  • "This meeting they were at never took place. They were never there, and Callahan could never speak of it again." — Heidi Wong (18:45)
• In 2000, former FAA official John Callahan went public with his evidence, fueling UFO and government cover-up legends.

5. Nome’s Real-Life Perspective (19:56–21:26)

• Nome locals resented "The Fourth Kind" for sensationalizing their tragedies and using real local journalism for fictional narratives.
• While Nome is rife with both disappearances and UFO sightings, most residents don’t believe in alien abductions or serial killers; mundane tragedy is the consensus.

6. The Sobering Truth: FBI Investigation Findings (21:27–22:17)

• In 2005, the FBI reviewed two decades of Nome disappearances, finding no evidence of foul play or alien involvement.
• Most cases were attributed to exposure, accidents, and the extreme Alaskan wilderness.
  • "The sad truth is the Alaskan terrain is so vast and the weather so punishing that an entire plane crash site can vanish under the snow within hours." — Heidi Wong (21:47)

7. Owls, UFOs, and the Power of Folklore (22:18–25:00)

• The recurring white owl motif in "The Fourth Kind" mirrors real paranormal reports—many who claim abduction also report seeing owls.
• Paranormal researcher Mike Clelland’s book chronicles hundreds of such stories, making owls a potent symbol in UFO lore.

8. HAARP and the Alaska Dark Pyramid Conspiracy (25:01–27:47)

• HAARP: The U.S. military’s high-frequency research facility in Alaska has inspired conspiracy theories—environmental warfare, mind control, and secret communications.
• The Dark Pyramid: Rumors persist of a massive, energy-emitting underground pyramid between Nome and Denali, allegedly discovered after a 1992 seismic event and shrouded in secrecy. No evidence, but the legend adds to Alaska’s mystique.
  • "Now, there's never been any verified evidence of a pyramid under Alaska, but that hasn't stopped people from believing. Because in Alaska, where planes vanish, compasses fail, and UFOs fly through the sky, it's easy to imagine something ancient and powerful hiding just below the ice." — Heidi Wong (27:42)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the film’s authenticity:
  -"The movie itself is made up and none of the footage is real. But the stories that inspired it. Some of those are 100% true." — Heidi Wong (01:30)

• On Nome’s isolation:
  -"There are no roads connecting Nome to the rest of the state, no ferries bringing people in. ... You have to want to go there." — Heidi Wong (07:45)

• On the Alaska Triangle disappearances:
  -"Since 1972, more than 20,000 people have gone missing in the Alaska Triangle. That's more than twice the national average for disappearances anywhere else in the United States." — Heidi Wong (13:36)

• Describing the JAL1628 UFO event:
  -"There was no way any man made machine could appear right in front of a 747 ... and stay there without colliding. And then a third ship joined the party. A gigantic craft that dwarfed the 747." — Heidi Wong (17:10)

• On the official cover-up:
  -"Then someone from the CIA spoke up. He told Callahan that this meeting they were at never took place. They were never there, and Callahan could never speak of it again." — Heidi Wong (18:45)

• On the white owl motif:
  -"Some people who claim to have experienced alien abductions report seeing owls before, during, or after their encounters, as if the birds are a kind of psychic messenger." — Heidi Wong (23:25)

• On why conspiracies stick:
  -"In Alaska, where planes vanish, compasses fail, and UFOs fly through the sky, it's easy to imagine something ancient and powerful hiding just below the ice." — Heidi Wong (27:42)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:42–02:41: Introduction, setup of "The Fourth Kind" and discussion of horror’s relationship with “true stories”
• 04:17–07:00: Nome's real-life mysteries and the Alaska Triangle's sinister reputation
• 10:00–14:15: Detailed discussion of major historical disappearances within the Alaska Triangle
• 14:16–19:55: In-depth retelling of the Japan Airlines UFO incident and its covert aftermath
• 21:27–22:17: FBI’s findings on Nome’s missing persons
• 22:18–25:00: The white owl as recurring abduction symbol and its basis in UFO culture
• 25:01–27:47: The HAARP conspiracy and the legend of Alaska’s Dark Pyramid
• 27:48–29:01: Concluding reflections on why Alaska is fertile ground for horror, myth, and conspiracy

Conclusion

Heidi Wong masterfully weaves together true crime, folklore, and government conspiracy, suggesting that reality often exceeds even the scariest urban legends. By examining both the cold facts and the irresistible lore, she demonstrates how real-world horrors inform and amplify the stories we tell—leaving listeners to ponder the question: just how alone are we, really?