Sat, Sep 08, 2007
Incident Reported Near O'Hare
Here we go again...
Authorities are attempting to locate the person who shined a
laser into the cockpit of Northwest Airlines Flight 352 while it
was trying to land at O'Hare International Airport Wednesday
night.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the NWA pilots reported
the laser originated from the ground, according to the Grand Forks
Herald.
The DC-9 was a quarter-mile out when the green or possibly
white light was aimed at the cockpit.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations has joined the search as
well. Spokesperson Cynthia Yates said, "The FBI takes these matters
very seriously due to the potential impact it could have on the
flight crew and passengers." The agency has narrowed the search
area to the east side of the airport.
This occurrence is, unfortunately, becoming ever-more frequent.
As ANN has reported just this year, there have been six incidents
of such activity that we know about -- once in February, twice in
June, once in July, twice in August and now once in September.
Legislation was approved in May by the House of Representatives
that declared the use of cheap, handheld laser pens "presents an
imminent threat to aviation security and passenger safety," said
House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) before the
voice vote to approve the measure, as ANN reported.
Those convicted face up to 20 years in prison. The act is
considered an attempt to disable an aircraft, according to the
Chicago Tribune.
The National Transportation Safety Board has documented cases
where pilots sustained actual injury to their eyes and were
incapacitated during critical phases of a flight.
Airlines spokesperson Elizabeth Isham Cory said there were no
reports of injuries in this incident and the aircraft landed
safely.
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