Strange encounter at lofty heights: Airplane pilots claim to have spotted a person with a rocket backpack flying over the US metropolis of Los Angeles. Allegedly, the person with the so-called jetpack was about eleven kilometers north of the international airport at an altitude of around 1,800 meters, the FAA announced on Thursday (local time). The crew of a China Airlines plane reported the unusual sight on Wednesday afternoon.
Flying person or drone?
"The FAA has contacted local law enforcement agencies and will review the report," a spokesman said. The Federal Police FBI are in contact with the aviation authority and are following up several reports on the incident, the authority said according to media reports. In aviation circles there is a lot of speculation about whether it is really a person with a jetpack or perhaps a drone, wrote the Los Angeles Times newspaper.
Also read: At Los Angeles Airport – At a height of 915 meters: pilot encounters person with rocket backpack
It is the second incident of its kind in the California metropolis within a few weeks. At the end of August, pilots reported a man with a rocket backpack near passenger planes, the FAA confirmed in early September. This can be dangerous as it can lead to collisions. It is unclear whether the two incidents are related.