Pilots from twelve separate commercial flights landing at Seattle-Tacoma International on Sunday night have reported that a green laser was shined into their cockpits, CNN reports. The news agency says the report brings “renewed attention to a problem that has plagued pilots since the introduction of cheap laser pointers several years ago.”
CNN reports the 12 planes — all of which landed safely — were targeted during a 20-minute window. “But the incident led to pilots simultaneously trying to avoid being temporarily blinded by the light while trying to help authorities pinpoint its source, believed to be about a mile north of the airport. Air traffic controllers continuously cautioned pilots about the light during the episode, which lasted from 7:10 to 7:30 p.m. PT,” CNN writes on its website.
“All right, I’ll keep an eye out for that,” CNN quotes one pilot as responding to controllers before “correcting himself” to say: “Er, I’ll keep an eye away from that.” CNN says that exchange was captured by LiveATC.net. Though the number of incidents reported on Sunday was unusually high, Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Laura Brown says laser incidents are on the rise. She tells CNN that 148 incidents have been reported so far this year.
That, of course, raises safety concerns. “There’s a great risk that this could lead to an accident, in particular because it happens during the take-off phase or the landing phase, and that is literally the most dangerous part of any flight,” Capt. Bob Hesselbein of the Air Line Pilots Association tells CNN.
Source: USA Today
By: Bmused55 - 20th May 2009 at 07:32
Federal officials will investigate reports that two Continental Airlines planes were tracked by a green laser as they flew out of Newark Liberty International Airport.
Both incidents occurred shortly after 10 p.m. Friday.Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Jim Peters said crewmembers aboard Continental flights 460 and 1192 reported the laser light to air traffic control. He said the incidents occurred about 4.2 miles (6.8 kilometers) south of the airport.
Flight 460 was headed toward San Antonio, Texas while flight 1192 was en route to Boston, according to the Continental website.
I can’t wait for one of these idiots to laser a military jet. They’ll learn the hard way and maybe send a message to others thinking about it.
By: steve rowell - 19th May 2009 at 23:41
Federal officials will investigate reports that two Continental Airlines planes were tracked by a green laser as they flew out of Newark Liberty International Airport.
Both incidents occurred shortly after 10 p.m. Friday.
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Jim Peters said crewmembers aboard Continental flights 460 and 1192 reported the laser light to air traffic control. He said the incidents occurred about 4.2 miles (6.8 kilometers) south of the airport.
Flight 460 was headed toward San Antonio, Texas while flight 1192 was en route to Boston, according to the Continental website.
By: Flying-A - 28th February 2009 at 04:12
I just ran a Google search using the phrases “police helicopter” and “laser.”
About 18,400 results!
By: supermario - 28th February 2009 at 02:56
In sydney the cops busted a bloke for shining a laser at a police helicopter.
One of the current affairs shows caught up (ambushed more like it, it was hillarious) with the bloke and all he could say was that it was a bit of fun, he did it for a laugh !!!!!
sometimes, you want to take a sledge hammer to these fools, or shine a laser in theor eyes while they drive !
By: RAFRochford - 27th February 2009 at 10:07
Hi All…
I well remember one occasion that outshone these laser incidents for sheer stupidity that happened a few years back.
I used to attend the annual military show at Beltring in kent as I used to take an old WW2 GMC 6X6 truck down there for the week. Being that this event attracted thousands of people, all of whom camped out there for the week, every Saturday night used to be one big drunken party. I was in the beer tent, when I heard very loud cheers coming from a big crowd assembled outside the tent. Being the curious type, I popped outside to take a look. What I saw was unbelievable..
There before me was this guy who owned three big wartime searchlights mounted on old Tilling-Stevens trucks. All three were lit up like the fourth of July, and he and a couple of his mates were “coning” airliners that were on approach to Gatwick (I assume it would have been Gatwick…although I could be wrong)
That was an unbelievably stupid thing to do, and I can’t imagine the chaos that must have caused on the flightdecks of those aircraft…not to mention rattling the passengers a bit. Very stupid!
Needless to say, the Police were on the scene within 25 minutes!!
Mind you, I bet that hadn’t happened in kent since the war!!
Regards;
Steve
By: steve rowell - 27th February 2009 at 09:16
These kinda stories **** me off, these “people” are so called “Americans” like me? Ahhh, this world is brutal.
Sorry Chuck but you don’t have a monopoly on idiots…we have ’em here too!!!
By: chuck1981 - 26th February 2009 at 05:21
These kinda stories **** me off, these “people” are so called “Americans” like me? Ahhh, this world is brutal.
By: Gary Cain - 26th February 2009 at 05:16
That’s a good one!! You forgot to mention the two second time lag however!
Take a good look at his mug shot. Shine his laser into one of his ears and the beam will come out the other.
By: steve rowell - 25th February 2009 at 22:51
They recently sentenced a guy in Cleveland for doing that.
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/01/man_who_shined_laser_into_airp.html
Of course he was not just stupid enough to shoot the laser at 2 airliners and a medical helicopter but also the police helicopter dispatched to investigate. When they went to his house they found drugs so he got those charges thrown in for free. Awesome.
Same thing happened here last year with a police helicopter…when the patrol car pulled up at the house he was still standing on the deck shining at the police chopper…turned out to be a 52 year old father of four…you’d think someone of his maturity would know better wouldn’t you…when questioned by the patrol officers he said it was just for a bit of fun because he was bored!!!
By: Grey Area - 25th February 2009 at 18:01
Going OT a bit, is “shined” a real word? Wot happened to “Shone”?
As Mr Shaw once remarked, “Two nations divided by a common language”. 🙂
By: Mr Creosote - 25th February 2009 at 17:44
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/01/man_who_shined_laser_into_airp.html
Going OT a bit, is “shined” a real word? Wot happened to “Shone”?
By: Flying-A - 25th February 2009 at 02:51
They recently sentenced a guy in Cleveland for doing that.
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009…into_airp.html
Of course he was not just stupid enough to shoot the laser at 2 airliners and a medical helicopter but also the police helicopter dispatched to investigate. When they went to his house they found drugs so he got those charges thrown in for free. Awesome.
Take a good look at his mug shot. Shine his laser into one of his ears and the beam will come out the other.
By: Whiskey Delta - 25th February 2009 at 02:32
They recently sentenced a guy in Cleveland for doing that.
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/01/man_who_shined_laser_into_airp.html
Of course he was not just stupid enough to shoot the laser at 2 airliners and a medical helicopter but also the police helicopter dispatched to investigate. When they went to his house they found drugs so he got those charges thrown in for free. Awesome.
Sign In
February 25, 2009 at 12:25 am