By Tim Binnall
Newly released footage from a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter suggests that the mysterious 'jetpack man' spotted near LAX on multiple occasions over the last year may have actually just been an errant balloon. The curious case began back in the summer of 2020 when a pilot approaching the airport reported to air traffic controllers that there was a "guy in a jetpack" flying around the area. This was followed by a subsequent sighting in October of last year as well as a third such encounter with the unidentified flying individual that took place this past July. An investigation by the FBI indicated that they suspected that the aerial anomaly was, in fact, a balloon, and now newly available materials reportedly released by the LAPD lend considerable credence to that theory.
Captured in November of last year, but only coming to light this week, the footage as well as some photos show what is clearly a sizeable human-shaped balloon floating at a high altitude above the city of Los Angeles. Specifically, it is believed that the object is a seven-foot-tall inflatable depiction of the character Jack Skellington from the hit film Nightmare Before Christmas. Given the time frame of the video, it is suspected that the balloon may have 'escaped' or was released from a residence where it had been used as a Halloween decoration. While this particular piece of footage was not captured during one of the three aforementioned 'jetpack man' sightings, authorities believe that it serves as a proverbial proof of concept that explains the seemingly inexplicable incidents.
To that end, the FBI says that their investigation into the series of events has failed to yield any additional 'jetpack man' witnesses nor any video footage from the three encounters that spawned headlines and led to authorities looking into the matter. For their part, the FAA issued a statement saying that the department "has worked closely with the FBI to investigate every reported jetpack sighting" and stressed that "so far, none of these sightings have been verified." So while the case may not technically be closed, the LAPD footage is the best evidence yet that the 'jetpack man' was not an ill-advised prankster making trouble, but a balloon that was only briefly spotted by the bewildered pilots.