New Jersey Man Indicted In Laser Incident | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

 Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-05.13.24

Airborne-NextGen-05.14.24

 Airborne-Unlimited-05.15.24 Airborne-AffordableFlyers-05.16.24

Airborne-Unlimited-05.17.24

Wed, Mar 23, 2005

New Jersey Man Indicted In Laser Incident

Says He Was Just Stargazing

A New Jersey man accused of pointing a laser beam into the cockpits of passing planes was indicted in federal court Wednesday under an anti-terrorism law.

David Banach is also accused of lying to FBI investigators who questioned him about the incident. The cabin and windshield of a small commercial jet were bathed in blinding green light at least three times during the incident on December 29th, according to the indictment.

"We take the alleged actions of Mr. Banach very seriously, and we will not condone lying to federal agents," US Attorney Christopher J. Christie said in a prepared statement released to reporters.

"I think it’s an absolute abuse of prosecutorial discretion to charge my client under the Patriot Act for non-purposeful conduct," Banach's lawyer, Gina Mendola-Longarzo, told local journalists.

The 38-year old defendant, who lives in Parsippany, NJ, faces up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000. He's officially charged with interference with pilots of an aircraft "with reckless disregard for the safety human life," according to the indictment.

Just two weeks after the incident, the Department of Transportation tightened up measures aimed at preventing people from shining lasers at aircraft.

FMI: www.dot.gov

Advertisement

More News

Classic Aero-TV: Remembering Bob Hoover

From 2023 (YouTube Version): Legacy of a Titan Robert (Bob) Anderson Hoover was a fighter pilot, test pilot, flight instructor, and air show superstar. More so, Bob Hoover was an i>[...]

ANN FAQ: Follow Us On Instagram!

Get The Latest in Aviation News NOW on Instagram Are you on Instagram yet? It's been around for a few years, quietly picking up traction mostly thanks to everybody's new obsession >[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (05.15.24)

Aero Linx: B-52H Stratofortress The B-52H Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic spee>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (05.15.24):Altimeter Setting

Altimeter Setting The barometric pressure reading used to adjust a pressure altimeter for variations in existing atmospheric pressure or to the standard altimeter setting (29.92).>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (05.16.24)

"Knowing that we play an active part in bettering people's lives is extremely rewarding. My team and I are very thankful for the opportunity to be here and to help in any way we ca>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Change Display

Headlines Only | Headlines w/ Teasers | View Everything

Advertisement

Top Videos

Airborne 05.17.24: Hummingbird 'Best', Cavorite Flies, Starliner Update

Airborne Affordable Flyers 05.16.24: PRA Runway, Wag-Aero Sold, Young Eagles

Airborne 05.15.24: Ghost Sq MidAir, B-2 Junked, Dream Chaser Readies

See All

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2024 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC