‘The jet man is back’: Sighting of jetpack reported near LAX airport
“We did not see Iron Man,” a pilot flying near LAX told air traffic controllers
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Planes flying into Los Angeles International Airport were warned that a person in a jetpack had been seen in the area on Wednesday evening.
The flying object was spotted at an altitude of 5,000 feet (1500ms) 15 miles east of LAX by a pilot.
“The jet man is back,” an air traffic controller could be heard saying in audio obtained by CBS Los Angeles.
“Let me know if you see him.”
The controller then asks: “Skywest 3626, did you see the UFO?”
“We were looking, but we did not see Iron Man,” the pilot responds.
“Evergreen 8023… use caution,” the controller can then be heard saying. “There was a report of a man in jetpack around 5,000 feet in the vicinity of Los Angeles.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a statement saying pilots had been notified to keep an eye out for “jet man”.
“A Boeing 747 pilot reported seeing an object that might have resembled a jetpack 15 miles east of LAX at 5,000 feet altitude,” an FAA spokesperson said in a statement.
“Out of an abundance of caution, air traffic controllers alerted other pilots in the vicinity.”
Last year, similar sightings of flying jetpacks were reported by pilots near Los Angeles Airport.
At the time, the FBI said it was investigating the sightings.
Experts have cast doubt on whether a jetpack could reach such an altitude.
Of the jetpacks currently available to purchase, the highest altitude one could reach and get back to the ground safely was around 3,000 feet.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments