The FBI is conducting a probe after a pilot from American Airlines reported a man flying a jetpack above Los Angeles International Airport Sunday night.
“The FBI is aware of the reports by pilots on Sunday and is working to determine what occurred,” a spokesperson told FOX 11 Tuesday.
A second pilot from a separate airline company also reportedly spotted a man using a jetpack as the planes were approaching the airport at around 3,000 feet and 10 miles out for a landing.
“Tower, American 1997. We just passed a guy in a jet pack,” a pilot said on the radio transmission.
An air-traffic controller — noticeably taken aback by the report — responded, “American 1997, OK, thank you for the update. Left side or right side?”
“Off the left side,” the pilot responded, “at maybe, uh, 300 yards or so, at our altitude.”
The LAX tower also alerted the pilot of another plane to beware of “a person with a jet pack reported 300 yards south of the L.A. final at about 3,000 feet.”
The pilot responded, “We heard and are definitely looking.”
The air-traffic controller, apparently confused, responded, “Only in LA.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said they turned the report from the American Airlines pilot over to the Los Angeles Police Department.
LAPD said they performed a flyover the area where the man was spotted that day but could not find anyone that matched the description, according to the news outlet, who reached out to the law enforcement agency.
Two retired pilots who currently teach aviation safety told FOX 11 that they believe the pilot’s sighting due to the nature of their “trained eyes” and visual perception.