Advertisement

Bizarre new image could solve mystery of 'man' flying over Los Angeles

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Well, it turns out it's neither.

But the mystery behind a bizarre object, once thought to be a man in a jetpack, spotted flying over LA's skyline might have finally been solved.

The object, which appears to be a figure of some sort, was first captured on camera near Los Angeles International Airport in August last year, before another sighting was made in October of the same year.

A third sighting of a man wearing a 'jetpack' at 5000 feet was reported four months ago.

The FBI and Federal Aviation Administration undertook an investigation. No one could exactly figure out what it was or how it was flying.

It was spotted travelling at high speed by the Southwest airlines pilot in August 2020, KTLA reported. The pilot said it appeared to be “a guy in a jetpack”.

A flying object which looks like a mannequin flying across LA.
This flying object spotted over LA's skies by a plane became the source of an FBI investigation. Source: KTLA 5

The FBI told Fox 11 on Monday it might have determined exactly what the object was.

"The FBI has worked closely with the FAA to investigate reported jetpack sightings in the Los Angeles area, none of which have been verified. One working theory is that pilots might have seen balloons,” the FBI told Fox 11.

New photos appear to show a balloon resembling Jack Skellington, a character from Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas, wearing black with long, skinny limbs. It's unclear why the images, believed to have been taken in November last year, have only recently been released.

The pilots can be forgiven for thinking the balloon was a man, but Chief Executive of Chatsworth-based JetPack Aviation David Mayman told LA Times in October last year it’s “highly unlikely” a man in a jetpack could fly at the altitude seen in the photos.

“To fly up to 6,000 feet from the ground, to fly around long enough to be seen by China Airlines and then to descend again, you’d be out of fuel,” he told the Times.

He theorised at the time it was a mannequin with a drone attached.

There have been no arrests or charges made regarding the flying object.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.