Pilots spot person flying jet pack near Los Angeles airport

Authorities are investigating the second report in less than two months that a person apparently flying a jet pack was spotted by airline pilots near Los Angeles International Airport.

The crew on a China Airlines Ltd. jet arriving in Los Angeles saw the flying object at about 1:45 p.m. local time on Wednesday, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said in an emailed statement. It was about seven miles (11 kilometers) northwest of the airport at an altitude of 6,000 feet (1,829 meters), which would put it close to the city’s downtown.

On Aug. 30, crews from two separate planes saw “what appeared to be someone in a jet pack” as they prepared to land at the same airport, the FAA said after that incident.

The FAA said it alerted local law enforcement about Wednesday’s report and will also look into it. If the object was a person in a jet pack, it would be prohibited from flying in that area.

The agency receives thousands of reports a year from pilots and others of drones and other non-traditional flying objects operating improperly, though it has been difficult to verify the reports or to catch most violators.