Man in jetpack spotted over Los Angeles Airport LAX. Again

Only in LA: a jetpack man was reported over LAX. Again. Photo / Nathan Dumalo, Unsplash

For a second time this year, pilots on approach to Los Angeles' busiest airport reported seeing a man in a jetpack.

At 1:45pm on Wednesday the strange – but not uncommon – report was radioed in to traffic control.

"A China Airlines crew reported seeing what appeared to be someone in a jet pack at an approximate altitude of 6,000 feet [1800m], about seven miles northwest of Los Angeles International Airport," In a statement by the Federal Aviation Administration.

In the traffic control records the flight crew can be heard trying to bring themselves to terms with what they are reporting: "a bright object at 6000ft ... like a jetpack".

Control tower appeared unfazed by the report. "Yep, we got you".

"There was a jetpack reported about seven miles west of you. There's no way you can go and check that out can you?"

Asking other planes to see if they could confirm the sighting, 2 minutes later the airborne prankster was gone.

An earlier sighting of a 'jetpack man' from 1st September is currently under investigation FBI. An American Airlines flight made a similar report of "a guy in a jetpack" on approach to LAX which was also repeated by a second JetBlue flight, 10 minutes later. It is not clear if this earlier incident is connected –but how many men in jetpacks can there be, in the skies over down town Los Angeles?

"The FBI is in contact with the FAA and is investigating multiple reports of what, according to witnesses, appeared to be an individual in a jetpack near LAX, including one today reported by a China Airlines crew," a spokesperson for the LA FBI field office told CNN.

In traffic control recordings from the incident in September control tower operators can be heard issuing an unusual warning to aircraft on approach:

"Use caution, person in a jetpack reported 300 yards south of the LA final"

"Yep we heard it and we are, definitely looking," responds Jet Blue 23.

"Only in LA!"

So, who had a guy in a jetpack flying at 6,000 ft near LAX on their 2020 bingo card? pic.twitter.com/nUk37UOzdY

— Lizzi Cochrane (@lizzicochrane) October 15, 2020

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