The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating reports from airline pilots of someone flying a jetpack near Los Angeles international airport over the weekend.
“Two airline flight crews reported seeing what appeared to be someone in a jetpack as they were on their final approaches to LAX around 6:35pm PDT Sunday,” the FAA said in a statement on Tuesday, but did not elaborate further.
Fox 11 Los Angeles obtained recordings of communications between the aircraft and the tower as the pilots approached the airport.
“Tower, American 1997, we just passed a guy in a jetpack,” a pilot said.
“American 1997, OK, thank you, were they off to your left side or your right side?” the controller asked.
“Off the left side at maybe 300 yards or so at our altitude,” the pilot said. Another pilot also reported a sighting.
“We just saw the guy pass by us in the jetpack,” he said. The controller then advised another aircraft flight crew to use caution.
“Person in a jetpack reported 300 yards south of the LA final at about 3,000ft, 10-mile final,” the controller said.
An FBI spokeswoman, Laura Eimiller, told the LA Times that the agency was also investigating the incident.
“The FBI is aware of the reports by pilots on Sunday and is working to determine what occurred,” the agency said in a statement.
