Re LAX Second Jet Pack sighting
A China Airlines pilot reports a "flying jetpack" at 6,000 feet near Los Angeles International Airport.
Summary
In October 2020, the pilot of China Airlines (Dynasty) 006 reported a mysterious object resembling a person in a jetpack flying at 6,000 feet near LAX. Air Traffic Control immediately coordinated with other aircraft to maintain separation and tasked a nearby flight to investigate the area. Despite a search by "Idaho 30," the object was not located, adding to a string of similar unexplained sightings in the region.
Analysis
This recording captures the second of several high-profile "jetpack man" sightings near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) that occurred throughout late 2020 and 2021. The incident begins with the pilot of Dynasty 006 (a China Airlines Boeing 777) calmly reporting a "bright object" at 6,000 feet. When pressed by the controller for clarification, the pilot specifies it looked like a "flying jetpack," though he notes it was too far away to be certain of the details beyond its "shiny" appearance.
The reaction from Air Traffic Control (ATC) is a masterclass in professional anomaly handling. Rather than dismissing the report as absurd, the controller immediately treats the "jetpack" as a legitimate traffic hazard. They issue warnings to following aircraft, such as Emirates 215 Heavy, and adjust altitudes to ensure a vertical buffer of at least 1,000 feet from the reported sighting. The controller also reroutes SkyWest 3420 to a left downwind to keep the arrival corridor clear while the investigation is underway.
A notable aspect of this recording is the involvement of "Idaho 30." In the Los Angeles area, "Idaho" is a callsign often used by law enforcement or government aircraft. The controller asks Idaho 30 if they can "check that out," essentially turning a routine flight into a temporary reconnaissance mission. Idaho 30 climbs to 6,500 feet and flies directly toward the reported coordinates, but ultimately reports seeing nothing, illustrating the difficulty of spotting small, fast-moving objects in a vast sky.
This event remains significant in aviation circles because it triggered a joint investigation by the FAA and the FBI. While some theories suggest these sightings were actually sophisticated drones or even a human-shaped "Jack Skellington" balloon (which was later photographed at high altitudes in the area), the "Jetpack Man of LAX" remains one of the more modern and persistent aviation mysteries. The technical challenge of a person flying a jetpack at 6,000 feet—an altitude where oxygen is thinner and temperatures are lower—makes the sighting particularly anomalous.