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Plane in near miss with ‘guy in a jetpack’
An airline pilot’s communication with air traffic control has sparked a mid-air mystery.
An American Airlines pilot reported a close encounter with a ‘guy in a jetpack’ high above Los Angeles.
It was right on the flight path of incoming planes at LAX at an altitude of more than 3,000 feet.
It was just 300 yards from the plane, according to air traffic control audio.
A second pilot flying a SkyWest plane also reported the sighting.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the ‘unverified report’ of a person in a jetpack.
There is some scepticism about the incident due to the altitude.
Jetpacks are not that uncommon but usually fly just a few hundred feet at most from the ground.
However aviation experts do not doubt the pilots’ sightings as a man in a jetpack is difficult to mistake for something else.
Ross Aimer, former pilot and CEO of Aero Consulting Experts, told FOX 11 Los Angeles: "Whoever was operating—if it is a jetpack—this was a crazy place to be. The danger is that, God forbid, if they would have hit this object, whatever it was, it could get sucked into the engine."
A man reached more than 5,000 feet earlier this year in a jetpack demonstration flight above Dubai, which is thought to be a record altitude.
Written by Ray Montgomery, US editor
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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