Thu, Jul 05, 2007
Fifth Incident At BOS Since 2005; Over 900 Across Country
Sadly, we have yet another laser-pointed-at-a-plane story to
tell you about. The latest example happened Saturday night, as
Northwest Airlines Flight 170 was on approach to land at Boston's
Logan International Airport.
The Boston Globe reports the pilot called the tower at 10:25 pm
local time, saying "we're being painted by a laser." The aircraft
was descending through 5,000 feet when the strong, green light
shone into the cockpit.
There were no injuries reported (laser light can cause temporary
night blindness; at least one pilot has suffered retinal damage)
and the jet landed uneventfully. Controllers steered later flights
away from the area, approximately seven miles southeast of the
airport.
The exact location from where the light emanated was unknown,
according to FAA spokesman Jim Peters.
Pilots have reported over 900 laser incidents across the
country, since the FAA began recording them in late 2004. Logan has
seen five incidents involving lasers since 2005.
As ANN reported, in May
Congress approved legislation to authorize up to a five-year prison
sentence for the crime of pointing a laser at a plane... but the
new law hasn't seemed to deter pranksters and other
pointer-wielding miscreants. Just last week, police in Tulsa, OK
arrested a man for pointing a laser at a helicopter.
Not just any helicopter, either. This one had cops in it, who
were searching for an auto theft suspect. They nabbed the
laser-user instead.
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