New theory about mysterious LAX ‘jet pack man’ released by police

(LOS ANGELES) — Following nearly two years of reported sightings of a man flying at relatively high altitudes around aircrafts landing at Los Angeles International Airport, the police department released a new theory — there may not have been a man after all.

A helicopter crew captured images of a life-sized balloon flying over Century City last November, near where earlier sightings had been reported, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

The balloon reportedly resembles the fictional character “Jack Skellington” from Tim Burton’s 1993 movie “A Nightmare Before Christmas.”

The first reported sighting of a possible jetpack flier was made on Aug. 30, 2020, after two different commercial airline pilots reported seeing a man in a jet pack hovering near LAX, ABC News reported.

The second report was made on Oct. 14, 2020, and the third was made on July 28, 2021, all in the same surrounding area as the first.

Federal authorities said that none of the theories surrounding the sightings have been confirmed, and they are continuing to investigate the situation with the Federal Aviation Administration.

“The FBI has worked closely with the FAA to investigate reported jetpack sightings in the Los Angeles area, none of which have been verified,” the FBI said in a statement to ABC News on Tuesday. “One working theory is that pilots might have seen balloons.”

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