---
title: "Pilots: Man With Jetpack Was Flying Near Planes at LAX"
description: "American Airlines pilot discovered a man flying in a jetpack when he landed his plane at LAX. Find out more about this investigation."
date: "2020-09-01"
modified: "2020-09-08"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/pilots-man-jetpack-flying-lax"
categories:
  - "Advanced Transport"
tags:
  - "airport security"
  - "jetpack"
  - "los angeles"
  - "the digest"
---

# Pilots: Man With Jetpack Was Flying Near Planes at LAX

![An American Airlines pilot made a bizarre discovery upon landing his jet at the LA International Airport on Sunday evening: a man wearing a jetpack.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/pilots-man-jetpack-flying-lax-1.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Jeff Turner\</em\>*

## Guy in a Jetpack

An American Airlines pilot says that a man wearing a [jetpack](<https://futurism.com/tags/jetpack>) flew past him as he prepared to land at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday evening, the local station [*ABC 7* *News* reports](<https://abc7.com/jetpack-lax-report-flying/6398152/>).

"Tower, American 1997, we just passed a guy in a jetpack," the bewildered pilot told LA's tower, noting they were at about 3,000 feet at the time of the sighting. "Off the left side, maybe 300 yards or so, about our altitude."

Two separate flight crews spotted the jetpack, as the Federal Aviation Administration [confirmed to local news station *Fox 11*](<https://www.foxla.com/video/846020>).

"We just saw the guy passing us by in a jetpack," the second pilot flying a Jet Blue airliner confirmed. "Only in LA."

## Wrong Place, Wrong Time

Aviation safety expert Steve Cowell told *Fox 11* that "it's possible this person may have come up, come down, and then driven away," as current jetpacks don't allow for prolonged flight.

Security experts warned that in a worst case scenario, a jetpack-wearing person could easily be sucked into the jet engines. That means passengers could also be at risk, as such a collision would cause significant damage to the plane's engines.

It's still entirely unclear what's behind the mystery. The FAA is now putting the investigation into the hands of the LA police department.

**READ MORE:** [Pilot landing at LAX reports 'guy in a jetpack' flying near plane](<https://abc7.com/jetpack-lax-report-flying/6398152/>) \[*ABC 7*\]

**More on jetpacks:** *[Watch a Real-Life “Iron Man” Take Off From the Ground Like a Badass](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/real-life-iron-man-takeoff>)*

## Author
I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/vtanger.bsky.social>)