For the second time in just six weeks, an airline crew member claims to have seen something unusual:
a man flying with a jetpack
, or
"jetpack,"
in the Los Angeles sky.
Authorities are investigating the report in which he describes what he saw as the plane approached to land at Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the sighting was reported around 1:45 p.m.
The jetpack stood at 6,000 feet, according to the FAA, nearly six times the height of the Wilshire Tower, the tallest building in Los Angeles.
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"A China Airlines crew member reported seeing what appeared to be someone in a jetpack about seven miles northwest of the airport," the FAA said in a statement alerting local police and investigating the report.
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It is not the first time this happens.
On August 29,
authorities received separate reports from two
airline
pilots
that someone was flying in a "jetpack" at about
3,000 feet
as their planes approached the Los Angeles airport.
"Two airline flight crews reported seeing what appeared to be someone in a jetpack when they were arriving at Los Angeles International Airport around 6:35 pm on Sunday," the FAA reported then.
The Fox 11 Los Angeles television station had access to the recordings of the communications between the aircraft and the tower.
"Torre, American 1997, we just passed a guy in a jetpack," one of the pilots reported.
"American 1997, okay, thank you, were they on your left side or on your right side?" Asked the controller.
"On the left side, approximately 300 meters at our altitude," replied the pilot.
David Mayman, CEO of Los Angeles-based Jetpack Aviation,
questioned whether it was a "jetpack."
"I'm open to being surprised," he added, "but I don't think there is anyone working in technology who can make a flight from ground level to 3,000 feet and then come back down."
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Mayman speculated that it could have been a drone, but added that at the height it supposedly reached it is unfeasible for most of these devices.
However, the company is working on the development of a "jetpack" that can reach up to 15,000 feet in altitude and operate for about 10 minutes, according to The New York Times.
The company does not yet sell its products but allows those who complete a three-week training program to operate them in a controlled space.
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Earlier this year, a pilot from Jetman Dubai, a team of pilots that wants to push the limits of autonomous human flight, flew almost 6,000 feet with a "jetpack" for three minutes.
With information from AP, The New York Times and CNN.