Crew Made It Safely Back To Base

A Maine LifeFlight helicopter crew was disrupted by a laser strike on November 22 while flying back to their base in Sanford.

The helo was flying at about 2000 feet AGL when the light was observed in the cockpit at about 7:45 p.m. LifeFlight of Maine is a nonprofit organization that provides emergency medical transportation. The pilot was able to fly back without further incident, laser light can temporarily blind crewmembers who are often wearing night vision goggles (NVGs).

This was the fourth laser strike reported by a LifeFlight pilot in two years. The FAA has been notified of thousands of laser strikes nationwide, with a total of 8,863 so far this year, 24 of which were reported in Maine. The nationwide total in 2023 was 13,304.

Chief Pilot Kirk Donovan said LifeFlight crews have been taught to notify the team when they get lasered during flight. They are trained to start by saying “don’t look outside” and then explaining what’s going on to protect their eyes.

If the laser beam hits the cabin it bounces off the windows and lights up the whole cabin. NVGs can intensify light by about 200 times.

Pointing a laser at aircraft is a federal crime punishable by a fine, up to five years in prison, or both. In Maine, pointing a laser at a uniformed law enforcement officer or injuring another person with a laser is a Class D crime.

Donovan said, "We may be carrying someone's loved one. Our cargo, our passengers are like gold to us. We want to make sure they're taken care of."

FMI:  lifeflightmaine.org/