A comprehensive resource for safe and responsible laser use

Ireland: "High intensity laser attack" during Coast Guard rescue

A Coast Guard helicopter based in Dublin was targeted by what the crew described as "a very high intensity green laser" light on August 22 2021, while looking for a man who fell overboard from a container ship, 16 miles offshore.

The helicopter, working with a Royal National Lifeboat Institution all-weather lifeboat from Wicklow, was able to rescue the man.

The crew was illuminated by laser light both on their flight from Dublin Airport to the ship, and during the return trip as well. It was not stated how much the laser light adversely affected the helicopter's search.

An Garda Siochána police were unable to locate the source of the laser.

From Joe, the Independent, and Q102

Scotland: Laser forces medical helicopter to take patient to hospital further away

A medical helicopter transporting a sick child was trying to land at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh on July 25 2021 when it was illuminated by a laser pen. The landing attempt was broken off. Instead, the helicopter went 9 air miles to Edinburgh Airport where the child was put into an ambulance and taken 14 miles by road back to the Royal Infirmary.

A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesperson said "This was an incredibly reckless action that could have endangered the patient and crew, and Police Scotland are investigating."

As of August 11 2021, no perpetrator had been identified.

From The Scotsman and the Daily Record

US: NJ man interfered with helicopter search for missing person

A New Jersey State Police helicopter was searching for a missing man on May 6 2021 when they saw a laser pointed at them. The crew identified the location and saw a person with the laser get into a vehicle.

Ground officers were able to find the vehicle on the Garden State Parkway at milepost 61. They arrested Jordan Prutzman of Tuckerton, NJ, who admitted that he pointed the laser at the helicopter.

Prutzman, 32, was charged with interference with transportation, a state charge. He may also be charged with federal crimes.

From New Jersey 101.5 and Jersey Shore Online

UK: Virgin Atlantic flight turns back after laser strike

According to Virgin Atlantic airlines:

"On 15 March 2021 flight VS453, operating from London Heathrow to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport, returned to Heathrow after take-off due to a laser beam incident upon departure.

The safety and security of our people and our customers is paramount and this was a precautionary step taken by the operating crew.

We'd like to thank our customers for their patience and apologise for any inconvenience caused.

All customers were offered overnight accommodation and we are working hard to ensure they are able to continue their journeys as soon as possible.

As is standard procedure for a laser incident, we swiftly notified the police and remain in close contact with them and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)."


The Boeing Dreamliner B789 aircraft took off from Heathrow at 9:34 pm GMT. At about 10:00 pm, while flying at an altitude of 41,000 ft, it began a U-turn southwest of Paris. The flight landed back at Heathrow at 10:47 pm.


2021-03-15 Virgin Atlantic 453 Heathrow 01 before turn 50pct
Approximately 10:00 pm the aircraft begins its U-turn

2021-03-15 Virgin Atlantic 453 Heathrow 02 after turn 50pct
A few minutes later, it is on its way back to Heathrow…

2021-03-15 Virgin Atlantic 453 Heathrow 03 on approach 50pct
… landing at 10:47 pm.

According to the Aviation Herald, the pilot was climbing out of Heathrow when the captain was illuminated by a laser beam. His or her condition worsened, with vision in only one eye, so the crew decided to turn back. They declared a "pan-pan", which is an urgent situation not posing an immediate danger. (This call is one level down from a "mayday", meaning imminent danger to life or the aircraft.)

The Aviation Herald also cited an Israeli media report that the laser perpetrator had been arrested.

From the
Aviation Herald and the Daily Mail. Graphics from FlightAware.com

COMMENTARY BY LASERPOINTERSAFETY.COM

This is the second time we are aware of that a commercial flight has turned back after having laser light from the ground interfere with the crew. On February 14 2016, a Virgin Atlantic flight from Heathrow to New York was illuminated by green laser light 6 miles west of London while flying at 8,000 feet. That flight continued for a while but then turned back over Ireland due to the first officer having vision problems. A story with links is here.

We have also reported on a few other times that aircraft have changed course, or the many times that police or other public service flights have had a mission interrupted, because of laser interference.

US: Colorado group says crew member lost vision permanently after 2017 laser strike

Two separate February 19 2021 news reports about a Colorado air medical transport group, Flight For Life, say that in 2017 a crew member suffered permanent vision loss after being illuminated with laser light from the ground. According to an article in the Pueblo Chieftain, "In 2017, a respiratory therapist flying out of Denver permanently lost 30% of his vision in his right eye."

This was echoed in a TV report on KRDO, where a registered nurse said "In 2017, we had a crew member hit with a laser, he lost 30% of his vision in his right eye, and that was permanent damage." Another nurse told the TV reporter that after a laser illumination, "I lost my vision for a few minutes due to black circles. And then I had about a three to seven day [period] of almost just sand and painful vision for a few days."

No further details were given in the news reports. On March 1, LaserPointerSafety.com reached out to Flight for Life for more information.

Both accounts described how Flight For Life helicopter crews in Southern Colorado have been subjected to laser illuminations that have been recently increasing.

In both accounts a crew member described the light as being similar to directly looking at a camera flash. According to the Pueblo Chieftain article, "Several Flight For Life members across Colorado have had to take time off in the past to allow their eyes to heal after a laser strike."

From the Pueblo Chieftain and KDRO

US: Two separate arrests for aiming laser at sheriff's helicopter; in one, pilot blinded for 3-5 minutes

In two separate incidents, a laser beam was pointed at the Volusia County (Florida) Sheriff's Office helicopter.

On September 22 2020, 29-year-old Ryan Hutton was arrested for aiming a green laser pointer at the helicopter while he was on a boat. The helicopter had been on a burglary call. The pilot's vision in his right eye was affected for about three to five minutes "like a flashbulb going off in front of his eye" according to a news story.

Hutton told arresting officers he thought the helicopter was a drone.

A day later, 60-year-old Gregory Marr aimed at the Sheriff's Office helicopter while they were conducting a search. Officers from nearby Flagler County were directed to Marr's home.

Gregory Marr laser squashed
Gregory Marr


Both men were charged with pointing a laser at a driver or pilot.

From ClickOrlando.com

US: California man charged after aiming laser pointer at police helicopter during protest

From a June 10 2020 press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California:

Rudy Alvarez of Lemon Grove was charged in federal court today with knowingly aiming the beam of a laser pointer at a San Diego Police helicopter as the aircraft flew over protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis.

According to a federal complaint, the incident occurred at a large demonstration that passed through the area of 500 University Avenue in Hillcrest on June 6 2020 at 8:30 p.m. Two officers from the San Diego Police Department’s Air Support Unit were monitoring the crowd in a marked San Diego Police Department helicopter. The officers reported that one of the demonstrators in the crowd was shining a laser at their aircraft that impeded their ability to safely operate the helicopter.


Click to read more...

US: 52-year-old Georgia man jailed for aiming laser at police helicopter

While searching for a wanted subject, a Gwinnett County police helicopter was illuminated by a red laser February 13 2020. The crew interrupted their search and directed ground officers to a Loganville, Georgia man.

52-year-old Daniel Clair Maloney was arrested on two misdemeanors: laser use against an aircraft and obstruction. According to police, when asked by officers why he aimed the laser, Maloney said he was "just curious as to why a helicopter was in the air."


Daniel Clair Maloney


Maloney was released on a $3,700 bond.

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

US: Colorado first responders encounter lasers nearly every night

The program director for Flight for Life emergency medical helicopters in Colorado says "We are being tagged by lasers on virtually every leg of a flight after dark." Kathleen Mayer made the comments in a January 20 2020 interview with CBS4 in Denver.

She said laser illuminations can cause pilots to land prematurely, and if they have temporary vision problems, they cannot fly.

Mayer also said "We see an uptick right after the holidays. I think people get the lasers for Christmas gifts and want to try them out, but they are absolutely picking the wrong target when they hit an aircraft."

According to Mayer, Flight for Life made six reports to the FBI in December, regarding laser interference.

From CBS4 Denver

Chile: Protesters appear to bring down a drone with laser pointers

A YouTube video posted shows a protest in Chile where dozens of laser pointers are aimed at a drone. The aircraft appears to waver, then to fall from the sky.



It is not known if the pointers damaged the drone's camera, rendering it unflyable, or if the operator could still fly the drone but decided to land it.

A video posted by Perseus999 includes this commentary from him or her:

This is the moment a police drones is being forced to crash and land by protesters in Chile using simple pointer lasers to blind the drone.

These protesters didn't use any physical or gun force to bring the drone down. Instead, they used another form of technology: lasers. A lot of bright green laser beams were pointed in unison at the drone, which can be seen moving erratically, before quickly falling down to Earth.

A few theories about how the drone was brought down by the lasers are floating around many social media. Some believe the lasers are powerful enough to melt the plastic on the drone if it is a cheap drone. Some others believe the lasers' lights would blind the drone operator's vision through the camera, and the drone would go into autopilot mode and land as a failsafe. Others think that with that many lasers pointing at the drone, it would overheat and malfunction. Speculations that between 40 to 50 lasers were being pointed at the drone have circulated online, and the video certainly demonstrates that these estimates may be true. If that is the case, that's certainly enough lasers to blind the drone's camera lens.

Videos found from @Emily_Lykos | @Carabdechile


COMMENTARY FROM LASERPOINTERSAFETY.COM: The overheating theories are probably incorrect. Cameras are known to be sensitive to laser light — often much more sensitive than human eyes. So the camera sensor could be damaged, or even if not damaged, causing glare making it difficult or impossible to safely fly.

Via a YouTube search for "Drone with laser pointer"

UK: 9 month sentence for 50-year-old, for aiming laser pen at helicopter

A 50-year-old man was convicted by a jury of aiming a laser beam at a West Yorkshire Police helicopter. He was sentenced May 12 2019 to nine months in prison.

On March 9 2019 the helicopter was searching for a car that had eluded a police stop, when it was repeatedly illuminated by green laser light. The search was abandoned so the helicopter could locate the laser suspect.

Ground units arrested David Gill of Leeds.

At trial he pleaded not guilty, but was convicted of endangering the safety of an aircraft.

From the Daily Mail

UK: Man with apparent weapon aims laser at police helicopter

A man who appeared to have a weapon aimed a laser beam at a Hampshire Constabulary police helicopter that was searching on the Isle of Wight for a missing person, on March 26 2019. At one point the helicopter landed in an attempt to find the laser-wielding man.

After the man was located, his weapon was found to be an air rifle. It is not known if the laser was attached to the rifle, or was a separate device. He was spoken to by officers and "enquiries are ongoing."

The missing person was later located on Yaverland Beach.

From UK News In Pictures, Island Echo, and Isle of Wight County Press

UK: Six months in prison for aiming laser pen three times at police helicopter

Voyslav Dimitrov, 29, was sentenced to six months in prison on February 18 2019, for aiming a green laser pen at a police helicopter.

On September 15 2018 officers were flying above Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, searching for men carrying knives, when their helicopter was illuminated with "dazzling" green light three times; each time lasting 3-5 seconds. The pilot took immediate action to avoid the light.

Ground officers arrested Dimitrov under the Laser Misuse (Vehicles) Act. He could have been jailed for up to five years and have been given an unlimited fine.

At trial on January 29 2019, Dimitrov pleaded guilty. His lawyer said Dimitrov thought he was aiming the laser at a drone which was an "extremely ridiculous" decision but that he was of good character.

During sentencing on February 18 2019, the judge said the outcome could have been "fatal and catastrophic" and gave Dimitrov a six-month jail sentence as a deterrent.

From BBC England News

US: Texas police pilot has pain in eyes for two days after laser is aimed at his helicopter

On November 1 2018, a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) helicopter pilot searching for a murder suspect was illuminated in the right eye by a green laser. This caused temporary blindness and a throbbing pain, which in turn caused the search to be aborted. Instead, the pilot and the tactical officer searched for and found the person aiming the laser. The pain continued for approximately two days.

Ground officers arrested 42-year-old Sherryol Elton Clack, Jr. with a green laser pointer.

Two weeks later, FBI agents interviewed Clack. He said his friend had purchased the laser pointer and claimed the light could reach the moon. Clack then decided to aim it at a helicopter. He said this was done out of "stupidity" and he did not intend to harm anyone.


Sherryol Elton Clack, Jr.


On February 15 2019 Clack took a plea deal for the offense of Aiming a Laser Pointer at an Aircraft. Details of the deal were not available. If the judge approves the plea deal, Clack will be sentenced later to a term of up to five years in prison.

From EverythingLubbock.com

UK: Police search interrupted by laser illumination; man arrested

A National Police Air Service helicopter looking for a missing person in Hatfield on November 4 2018 had the search interrupted when a laser was aimed at the aircraft. Police described it as a "persistent laser attack."

A 30-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of recklessly endangering an aircraft, and the laser was recovered by Welwyn Hatfield South Police.

The subject of the search was eventually found in woodlands.

From the Welwyn Hatfield Times and BOB FM.

UK: Police helicopter repeatedly illuminated by laser while searching for missing woman

A National Police Air Service helicopter was repeatedly illuminated by a green laser, while searching on May 7 2018 for a 73-year-old woman who was reported missing.

The NPAS crew contacted police in Preston, Lancashire who located and “detained the offender.” It is not known how much the persistent laser light disrupted the search for the woman. She was later found by a member of the public after a social media alert was posted.

From the Lancashire Post


US: Man shines laser near Sea-Tac Airport and at police helicopter: "Didn't think it was a big deal"

A 29-year-old man was arrested for aiming a laser at aircraft landing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, and at a King’s County sheriff’s helicopter.

On March 13 2018, the Sea-Tac control tower notified the helicopter, Guardian 1, that a laser was being aimed at inbound aircraft. The approximate location was the Burien Transit Center bus station. The helicopter was able to locate a man, who pointed a green laser beam at the aircraft. Officers on the ground arrested the man, who was not named in press reports.

According to the arresting officers, the man said he was showing his friend a new laser, and the man was “accidentally” aiming near the airport. The man also said he deliberately aimed the laser at the helicopter but “didn’t think it was a big deal.”

The laser caused a brief interruption of SeaTac Airport flight duties and prevented pilots from looking outside the aircraft.

From the Sky Valley Chronicle, KIRO, and Q13FOX.

US: California man indicted for hitting two helicopters with laser beam

A 31-year-old man from Turlock, California, was indicted December 14 2017 on two federal counts of aiming a laser beam at aircraft.

On October 22 2017, Roger Shane John struck a Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department helicopter five to six times with a green laser, causing visual interference and disrupting an air support response to a domestic violence call.

At around the same time, John also aimed a laser 3-4 times at CalStar 12, an emergency medical helicopter.

Conviction would result in jail time of up to five years, and a fine of up to $250,000.

John had numerous prior run-ins with law enforcement, including convictions for domestic violence, identity theft, possession of a controlled substance for sale, being a felon in possession of a firearm and making threats with intent to terrorize.

Roger Shane John laser Turlock Calif
Roger Shane John

From the Modesto Bee and a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California

US: UPDATED - Helicopter pilot lands; detains laser pointer suspect

Officers in a helicopter flying for the Pasco (Florida) County Sheriff’s Office were illuminated by laser light on December 5 2017. The pilot landed the aircraft in an empty parking lot, walked to the suspect’s home, and detained him.

Pilot Stephen Bowman was assisting with a situation involving a barricaded suspect, when he was hit by the laser at around 10:50 pm. Bowman told Bay News 9, “It blinded us temporarily for a couple of seconds — extremely painful. Once we came to, we saw a couple more flashes from the laser." Examination of video from the helicopter showed about 10 flashes.

Bowman began tracking the suspect. After landing the helicopter and going to the suspect’s home, there he detained Ryan Fluke, 27.

Bowman said Fluke was “a little confused”, asking where the helicopter was. Fluke also told Bowman he was doing it for fun. Fluke did not realize that lasers could travel a long distance (the helicopter was about 800 feet in the air). Fluke apologized to Bowman.

Fluke was charged with a third-degree felony, misuse of laser lighting devices. He had 12 previous arrests in Pasco County.

Ryan Fluke laser squashed80pct
Ryan Fluke

From the Bradenton Herald and ABC News, whose story includes police video of what the laser looked like from the air.

UPDATED MARCH 28 2019: Fluke pleaded guilty November 20 2018 to aiming a laser at an aircraft and was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison, in March 2019. From ABC Action News, the Global Dispatch and a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida.

US: Florida man arrested for aiming at sheriff's office helicopter

A 35-year-old man was arrested for aiming a laser pointer at a Hernando County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office helicopter on November 26 2017.

The aircraft was searching for a missing child at the time. The pilot and tactical flight officer were illuminated five times by the laser. It affected their ability to see and to give updated locations of the child, whom they had spotted shortly before the laser strikes.

Eric D. Harper was arrested at his home. Harper admitted to aiming at the aircraft. He told the arresting officers that he was sorry and he was unaware aiming a laser at an aircraft was illegal.

Eric D Harper laser
Eric D. Harper

From the Tampa Bay Times and ABC Action News

Note from LaserPointerSafety.com: Both stories quoted the sheriff’s office as saying that viewing a laser from infrared equipment such as FLIR cameras can severely damage the human eye.” This is not true. The laser may cause the FLIR viewing screen to “bloom” to full white or full green, which is very bright and of course can interfere with vision. The laser might even damage the FLIR sensor. But the FLIR sensor stops the laser beam itself — no laser light can enter the eye, and thus no eye damage could occur.

UK: 20 week jail sentence for Leicester man who aimed a laser at a police helicopter

Neil Stephen Wright, 35, was sentenced to 20 weeks in jail for aiming a laser at a police helicopter multiple times on October 10 2017. Eighteen of the weeks were for the laser incident, with an additional two weeks for breaching an earlier suspended sentence relating to a battery charge.

The incident occurred October 10 2017. The pilot was dazzled and had to abandon his mission. Wright was found at his home on Croyland Green, Thurnby Lodge, Leicester. He admitted to aiming the laser at the aircraft while “larking around.”

Sentencing occurred around November 24 2017.

Wright’s defender said Wright’s actions were “thoughtless stupidity,” that he “didn’t realize his behavior was a criminal offence,” and that he was “genuinely remorseful.”

The judge told Wright “The seriousness of this offence is blindingly obvious. You could have caused the death of those people performing a public duty and, as it was over a residential area, there could have been further fatalities."

Neil Stephen Wright laser
Neil Stephen Wright

From BBC News and the Leicester Mercury

US: Man aims laser from car at police helicopter, evades arrest, crashes

A man in a moving car aimed a green laser beam at a Fresno (Calif.) Police Department helicopter. A passenger in the car said the man, Michael Vincent Alvarez, did it because he “thought it would be funny to point a laser at the helicopter.” Alvarez then led officers on a high-speed chase which ended when the car crashed into a median; he suffered minor injuries.

At about 12:45 am on October 22 2017, the helicopter was providing support to ground units responding to a domestic violence disturbance when it was continuously illuminated by a green laser beam. The tactical flight officer was hit three times in the eyes.

The pilot had momentary flashblindness and lost night vision. The tactical flight officer had watering eyes, discomfort and pain. There was no reported eye injury.

The helicopter broke off from its mission to pursue the laser perpetrator.

The beam came from the driver’s side of a car traveling north on Highway 99 in Fresno. Ground officers pursued Alvarez’s car, which began a high-speed chase. Twice during the chase Alvarez stopped to drop off passengers. The car eventually crashed into a median. Alvarez got out and ran towards neighboring homes. He was apprehended by officers in the backyard of a home after a short foot pursuit.

Alvarez had minor injuries from the crash and was taken to a hospital for treatment. At the hospital, a baggie was found with substances suspected to be marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamine.

Inside the car’s driver side door pocket police found a laser marked “Laser 303” with a green multi-dot beam (perhaps a diffraction grating making a star-field-like pattern) and a danger label.

After an FBI investigation, Alvarez was charged with violating federal law by knowingly aiming the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft or its flight path. In addition, there were two previous felony warrants out for Alvarez’s arrest on other, unspecified charges.

From a report by Cyrus Farivar of Ars Technica. The criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California is here.

UPDATED May 7 2018 — Michael Vincent Alvarez was sentenced to 18 months in prison for the October 22 2017 incident. From KMPH and the Fresno Bee.

US: Coast Guard helicopter on practice flight is lased; lands immediately to get medical checkup

From a press release issued by the U.S. Coast Guard on October 12 2017:

Coast Guard seeks tips, information on recent laser attacks on helicopters

MCKINLEYVILLE, Calif. — The Coast Guard is asking the public for tips or information regarding recent laser attacks aimed against rescue helicopter crews.

The latest attack occurred Tuesday evening near the Arcata-Eureka airport as an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Humboldt Bay was conducting a practice instrument approach.

The helicopter was southeast of the airport when a green laser coming from a wooded area about three miles east of McKinleyville, was shined directly at the aircraft. The pilots quickly landed so the crew members could receive medical checkups.

“Laser attacks against aircraft are a crime because of the danger they present to aviators and the public," said Capt. Greg Fuller, the commander of Coast Guard Sector Humboldt Bay. “Our aircrews put their own lives on the line on a daily basis to save others in distress. These laser incidents significantly impact our ability to respond and we ask the public's help in identifying the sources.”

It is a federal crime, as well as a violation of California state law to aim a laser pointer at an aircraft. Punishment under state law ranges from civil penalties of $1,000 up to $2,000 and three years imprisonment. Federal law allows for a punishment of imprisonment of up to five years.

Lasers, including common laser pointers, can cause glare, flash blindness, temporary loss of night vision and more permanent damage such as blind spots, cataracts and partial or total loss of visual acuity.

The Coast Guard encourages anyone who sees someone lasing any aircraft to call 911 to report the crime immediately.

Information about some California aviation laser incidents, including arrests and convictions of laser aircraft attackers, can be seen here:
http://laserpointersafety.com/news/news/aviation-incidents_files/tag-california.php

US: 54-year-old woman arrested for multiple laser strikes on CHP helicopter

A California Highway Patrol helicopter was illuminated multiple times on September 20 2017, allegedly by an unnamed 54-year-old woman.

The helicopter was searching for a violent robbery suspect. The crew was forced to stop the search in order to identify the source of the laser.

CHP helicopter laser Sept 20 2017 01
Laser light from a direct hit overwhelms the camera lens for one frame of the CHP helicopter’s surveillance

CHP helicopter laser Sept 20 2017 02
A second later, the suspect can be seen (left) walking with what appears to be a child (right) in the middle of the road.


The CHP crew directed ground officers to a San Leandro house where the woman was arrested and a laser pointer was confiscated. CHP said the woman had other lasers in her home as well.

The FBI is investigating.

From the Mercury News and KRON (link to video is here)

Northern Ireland: Man arrested for aiming at police helicopter

An unnamed man in his 30s was arrested for aiming a laser pen at a Police Service of Northern Ireland in mid-July 2017.

The helicopter was helping the Coastguard trying to locate a lost person, when the laser illumination occurred.

The man was arrested for endangering an aircraft and was released on bail.

From
BelfastLive

US: Maryland man hits police helicopter eight times; crew goes to hospital

Connor Grant Brown, 30, was arrested for aiming a green laser pointer about eight times at a Maryland State Police helicopter on January 16 2017. The crew abandoned their mission (looking for a man running barefoot in cold temperatures), and landed. Two of the four persons on board — the pilot and the crew chief — went to Frederick Memorial Hospital for treatment. They were later released but will have to return for follow-up testing. The two men went back to work the following day.

Connor Grant Brown laser Jan 2017
Connor Grant Brown


Brown faces state charges of reckless endangerment, obstructing and hindering, and shining a laser pointer at an aircraft.

According to a trooper who was in the helicopter, the laser had a power of 100 milliwatts. The U.S. limit for laser pointers is 5 milliwatts. [The laser itself is legal, but it is illegal to sell lasers over 5 milliwatts as a “pointer” or for pointing purposes. And of course it is illegal to aim a laser pointer at an aircraft in the U.S.]

The trooper also said “he experienced spots on his vision after the laser hit the helicopter, as if he had just looked at the sun. While most sun spots disappear in a few blinks, the spots from the laser did not. He also experienced minor pain that he described to be similar to windburn.”

The trooper said the helicopter pilot described his vision as “sandy.”

A statement of probable cause described Brown’s explanation to troopers regarding why he aimed the laser at the helicopter.

At about 1 am Brown woke up due to a “buzzing sound.” The unknown aircraft flew over his house “every minute, at some points shaking the windows.” Brown aimed his $20 internet-purchased laser “to signal the operator to stop flying so close to the house.”

After police showed up at his house, “my heart sank in my chest.” He apologized and said he did not mean to cause any harm from his “horrible, horrible mistake… From start to finish, what I did was wrong.”

From CBS Baltimore, Carroll County Times initial story, Carroll County Times follow-up story, and Carroll County Times editorial “Use common sense with laser pointers.” Thanks to Capt. Dan Hewett and Greg Makhov for bringing this to our attention.

US: 15 month prison sentence for California man who aimed laser at sheriff's helicopter

Mario Deleon Lopez, a 35-year-old Santa Ana (California) man who intentionally aimed a laser pointer at an Orange County Sheriff’s Department helicopter, was sentenced August 23 2016 to 15 months in federal prison.

On November 14, 2015, the OCSD helicopter was responding to a traffic accident, looking for any victims who may have been thrown from an overturned vehicle. The helicopter was illuminated multiple times by green laser light. The tactical flight officer called the multiple strikes “relentless.”

The helicopter crew was able to direct police on the ground to the backyard of a residence. Lopez was arrested on state charges of pointing a laser at an aircraft. After an investigation conducted by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, the Santa Ana Police Department and the FBI, Lopez was indicted on federal charges which culminated in his August 2016 prison sentence.

“This defendant knew that pointing the laser at the helicopter could cause the pilot blindness and endanger those operating the aircraft, but committed the crime anyway,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “This was a senseless crime that warrants the sentence imposed by the court.”

United States District Judge Andrew J. Guilford, said the offense was a “distraction” to the people in the air and that “people could die.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Takla of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section.

From a press release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California

UK: Eight and six month sentences for aiming laser pen at helicopter

Two U.K. men were sentenced to jail on July 22 2016, for aiming the green beam of a laser pen onto a police helicopter.

During the March 9 2016 incident, intermittent flashes from the laser caused the pilot to take evasive action. The search for a missing person was called off, and instead the crew tracked the laser beam to two men in a park in the Newfoundpool area of Leicester. When ground officers apprehended the men, each man said the other had been using the laser.

Martin Gary Jayes, 46, had 71 criminal convictions on his record and was drunk when arrested for the laser offense. He was sentenced to eight months in jail for recklessly or negligently endangering the safety of an aircraft and those traveling within it.

His neighbor Oktawain Kamil Plaskiewicz, 22, was sentenced to six months in jail.

The judge said the men’s actions had “grave risks” and was “life-threatening.”

Jayes’ lawyer said “This offense was committed in drink by someone who knew better. He’s badly let himself down.”

Plaskiewicz’s lawyer said “He knows he’s acted in a very stupid way. There was no intention to bring down a helicopter. If it wasn’t so serious it might have been a childhood prank.”

From the Leicester Mercury. Thanks to Greg Makhov for bringing this to our attention.

UK: Cessna pilot makes emergency landing after being hit by laser after takeoff

An instructor for the Cambridge Aero Club, flying a single-engine Cessna 172, made an emergency landing after being flashblinded by a laser beam after takeoff. The February 16 2016 incident occurred around 6:30 pm local time near St Neots, about 20 miles from the club’s base at Cambridge Airport.

The instructor was not injured. There was no information available whether there was anyone else in the aircraft at the time.

The incident is being classified as “endangering an aircraft," and police are investigating.

From the Daily Mail

UK: UPDATED - Flight returns to airport after pilot gets laser in eyes, reports medical emergency

A Virgin Atlantic flight from London to New York on February 14 2016 was illuminated by a laser shortly after takeoff from Heathrow Airport, around 9:30 pm local time. The Airbus A340 continued but then turned back after crossing Ireland. The pilot declared a medical emergency, not threatening to life, due to the laser effects. On a recording of air traffic control communications, a person was heard to say “we have a medical issue with one of the pilots after a major incident … the other pilot is able to perform his duties.”

Virgin’s website stated that “Following this incident the first officer reported feeling unwell. The decision was taken by both pilots to return to Heathrow rather than continue the transatlantic crossing."

The airline said passengers would stay overnight and would then be able to fly to JFK Airport “as soon as possible”.

Police were attempting to find the laser source, said to be 6-7 miles from the airport. An article in the Daily Mail included a map showing the aircraft’s takeoff pattern, and the area where the laser beam was thought to have originated.

From the Telegraph, Daily Mail, BBC News and ITV. Audio recording from AirportWebcams.net.

UPDATED February 15 2016: The British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) called for “the Government to classify lasers as offensive weapons which would give the police more power to arrest people for possessing them if they had no good reason to have them.” From a statement on BALPA’s website, reprinted here.

UPDATED February 17 2017: A forum post claiming to be from the Virgin Atlantic pilot gave details about the incident. The person posted under the handle “scroggs”. He wrote: “I am the Captain in this event…. It was a red beam, not a green one. It was indeed reported as and when it happened. The pictures we got show its ground position (which wasn’t Legoland as far as I can see), and will hopefully help those in the know to estimate its power and provenance.”
      Scroggs continued: “As was reported in the news, the FO did receive retinal damage from what appeared to be a 'lucky' passing sweep, but it's not permanent and will heal fully. There was no visual impairment during the flight, but there was no way of knowing (for me) that that would continue to be the case. The symptoms were slow in making themselves apparent. That's about all I'm prepared to say for now.” From post #173 in a thread on PPRuNE.org about the incident.


Background commentary from LaserPointerSafety.com

After around 40,000 laser incidents reported to U.S. FAA and U.K. CAA from 2004 through 2015*, as of February 14 2016 this is the first occurrence we are aware of where a commercial aircraft has turned around and not completed its flight, due to a laser incident from the ground.

  • There have been a few instances where a flight has changed course, such as pilot doing a “go around” on landing because of laser light on the first attempt.
  • Some police and rescue operations have had their missions disrupted by a laser; this has been common for the U.S. Coast Guard which has operational rules requiring a mission to abort if there is laser illumination.
  • In 2013, there was an incident where an aircraft made an emergency diversion 224 miles short of its destination, because a passenger onboard was using a homemade laser to burn several small holes in fabric near his seat. This is the only other emergency diversion we are aware of due to laser misuse.

As of February 14 2016, there is no confirmed, documented case of permanent eye injury to a civilian pilot (commercial, general aviation, or police/rescue) due to exposure in the cockpit to laser light from the ground.

In a fall 2014 case, first publicly reported about a year later, a British Airways pilot illuminated by a laser on landing at Heathrow was treated at a Sheffield hospital for spots on his retina. The case was reported in a medical journal in January 2016 which said the area had healed within two weeks. An expert close to the case, who directly examined the journal paper and the evidence, told LaserPointerSafety.com in February that he does not believe the retinal injury was laser-induced, and that it was “not confirmed” as a laser injury “despite what the journal paper says.”

*29,097 laser incidents reported to U.S. FAA, Jan 1 2004 through Dec 31 2015; plus “more than 8,998 laser incidents” reported to U.K. CAA “between 2009 and June 2015.”

US: Coast Guard training mission in Georgia aborted after seeing laser beams

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter aborted a training mission after noticing a green laser beam tracking the aircraft, on November 16 2015. There were no reported injuries, and it is unclear whether the beam of the laser entered the cockpit.

The incident took place in Richmond Hill, Georgia. The Coast Guard urged anyone with information to come forward.

From WTVM

US: Medical helicopter pilot in Denver has "sore eyes" after laser illumination

The pilot of a medical helicopter flying in the Denver area was illuminated with a laser beam at about 8:30 pm local time on March 30 2015. The pilot made a “precautionary landing … was checked out and is off work for the next few days due to having sore eyes.”

The source of the laser is unknown.

From KUSA 9 News

US: UPDATED - Two Calif. men indicted for separate laser-pointing incidents on helicopters

On March 26 2015, a federal grand jury indicted two California men for aiming green laser beams at law enforcement helicopters. In both cases, the air crews involved experienced vision difficulties.

Case 1: Johnny Alexander Quenga, 28, of Fresno

On March 5 2015, the Fresno Police Department helicopter Air 1 was illuminated by green laser light about six times over ten minutes. One crew member, who had been illuminated by lasers numerous times in the past, suffered temporary flashblindness, afterimages, a headache lasting several hours requiring pain medication, and dizziness. He said the beam was much brighter than in his past experience. The pilot had a momentary loss of night vision, and flew a wide orbit to avoid the beam. The pilot directed ground officers to the location.

However, a patrol car on the way to the suspect’s home was broadsided at an intersection by a Toyota 4Runner. The Jaws of Life were needed to rescue one of the officers. Both officers in the car were treated at a hospital for serious injuries. The officer driving was knocked unconscious, had upper body and leg injuries, and some chipped teeth. The passenger officer had a broken leg and a fracture in his back that may require surgery. (The 4Runner driver and passenger suffered minor injuries.)

Pic 2015-04-11 at 12.49.13 PM
The Fresno Police Department car that was broadsided on the way to arrest a man who aimed a laser pointer at an FPD helicopter. Two officers were seriously injured. Photo from YourCentralValley.com.

When officers finally reached Quenga’s home, they found he was listening to police department radio traffic. He said “he could hear everything the officers were saying and knew they were looking for him and [he] had possibly hidden the laser.” Quenga claimed the laser beam came from a house behind him. He further said he worked as a security guard and knew he could lose his job for misuse of a laser.

Click to read more...

Ireland: Rescue helicopter targeted with a laser

A coast guard rescue helicopter looking for a missing man was targeted by a laser pen at about 1 am local time on March 14 2015, in Gaoth Dobhair (Gweedore), County Donegal, Ireland. The Garda superintendent said ““I must question the thought process of any individual who would endanger rescue personnel answering a call for assistance.” Authorities asked for help in finding the unknown perpetrator.

From Highland Radio and the Irish Mirror

US: 2 Coast Guard training missions cut short after laser tracks helicopters

Two Coast Guard training missions in Michigan were cut short after the pilot and crew were illuminated with green laser beams. One mission took place October 17 2014, the other mission three days later. The Coast Guard announced the incidents in a statement on November 5 2014.

The HH-65C Dolphin helicopters were based in Detroit. “During both incidents the lasers appeared to track the helicopters as they moved,” said the agency.

The Coast Guard has strict rules requiring helicopters to abandon their missions if illuminated with laser light. Anyone exposed is taken off flight duty for 24 hours, has their eyes dilated and must be cleared by a doctor before flying again.

From Ars Technica and the Lansing State Journal

UK: Total fines of £415 for London-area man who aimed at police helicopter

A 32-year-old man was sentenced on October 14 2014 for aiming a laser pen at a London Metropolitan Police helicopter. He was fined £300, plus he had to pay a victim surcharge of £30 and court costs of £85 (total £415 or U.S. $666).

On July 19 2014, helicopter “India 99” was trying to locate 10 people walking across rooftops. Arkadiusz Wozniewski of the London suburb of New Malden aimed a laser pen at the aircraft. This caused the search to be called off.

Wozniewski pleaded guilty in Wimbledon Magistrates Court on October 8 2014.

From the Surrey Comet

UK: Police copter abandons search for missing North Yorkshire woman, due to 6-year-old aiming laser pen

A North Yorkshire Police helicopter was searching in Selby, a town 14 miles south of York, for a missing 89-year-old woman on September 27 2014 when the aircraft was struck by a laser beam. The pilot was forced to abandon the search for about 10 minutes, in order to direct ground officers. They found a six-year-old boy had been aiming a laser pen at the aircraft.

The officers spoke to the child’s parents, telling them that shining light in pilots’ eyes is dangerous. The boy was said to have had no malicious intent.

The missing woman was later located “safe and well,” according to police quoted in an October 2 2014 news story.

From YorkPress.com

US: Police copter abandons search for Queens rapist, due to laser pointer attack

A New York Police Department helicopter was searching in the New York City borough of Queens for a rapist at about 8 pm on September 24 2014 when the aircraft was struck by a laser beam. The pilots were said to be blinded. They were forced to abandon the search in order to track down the laser offender.

Neither the rapist nor the laser perpetrator have been found, as of October 1 2014 when the NYPD made details of the incident public on their Facebook page.

From Pix11.com and the police Facebook page

UK: 12 month community order for Farnworth man who aimed laser pen at police helicopter

James Hunt, 27, of Farnworth was sentenced September 10 2014, for aiming a laser pen from his bedroom window at a police helicopter on May 23 2014. The laser strike caused the helicopter to abandon a search for a missing person, in order to determine Hunt’s location in Farnworth, a town of 25,000 that is situated nine miles northwest of Manchester.

In August, Hunt pleaded guilty to acting in a manner likely to endanger an aircraft, and to possession of cannabis. He was given a community order for 12 months, a supervision order, was fined £20, was ordered to pay a £60 victim surcharge, and he had his laser pen and cannabis forfeited.

From the Bolton News

UK: 16 and 12 week sentences for two Birmingham-area men in "persistent and determined" laser pen attack

Two men from Walsall were sentenced September 2 2014 for up to 16 weeks in prison, for what a West Midlands police helicopter pilot called the most “persistent and determined” laser pen attack in his 14 years with the police.

Claudio Bruno, 48, of Bloxwich and Carl Keates, 23, of Walsall pleaded guilty to recklessly endangering the safety of an aircraft. Bruno -- said to be responsible for 90 percent of the attack -- was sentenced to 16 weeks in jail. Keates was sentenced to 12 weeks.

The two had been drinking when they began to aim a laser at the police helicopter as it was tracking a stolen car. The “repeated and prolonged” attack lasted about 25 minutes, 10 of which was filmed by the helicopter. Video footage showed that both men were fully aware of what they were doing.

Bruno told arresting police that it was a joke, but then said his actions had put the helicopter in danger. He had purchased the laser about six months before to point out constellations in the night sky. Keates said he did not know if the laser would reach the helicopter.

At trial, the defender said that Bruno, in particular, was terrified at the prospect of the court case: "His family say he has not been able to eat or sleep and has wept constantly. He is extremely remorseful, not for his position but for what he did. It was stupid, foolish and reckless."

During sentencing, the judge said "This type of case is one of the most difficult that a judge has to deal with because I have before me two men of good character but each charged with a very serious offence. I accept you are both very remorseful. You had both been drinking and no doubt thought it would be a jokey thing to do but it was not and it could have had catastrophic consequences."

From the Walsall Advertiser and the Express & Star

US: UPDATED - Oakland teen indicted for aiming laser at CHP helicopter

Christian Palomino, 18, was indicted August 28 2014 by a federal grand jury for knowingly aiming a laser at an aircraft.

On June 7 2014, a California Highway Patrol helicopter was responding to an incident in Oakland when the flight officer noticed two green flashes aimed at the aircraft. Ground officers found a laser pointer in Palomino’s pocket.

The helicopter had to break off a search with the Oakland Police Department, to deal with the laser incident. In an affidavit, an FBI special agent stated that “the two officers in the CHP helicopter had to divert their attention back and forth between searching for the source of the laser and providing assistance to the OPD.”

According to the Contra Costa Times, Palomino was taking a selfie video during the incident: “In the video, Palomino yelled at the helicopter pilot, ‘Look at this laser!’ A woman can be heard in the background saying, ‘Don't do that! You know you could blind ... You('re) going to go to jail if you do that. Don't do that!’”

According to SFGate, “In a recorded telephone conversation from jail, Palomino asked his mother in Spanish if she had recorded a news segment about the incident, which he described as an ‘embarrassment,’ Koh wrote [in the affidavit]. ‘Palomino’s mother replied by stating, ‘You should be embarrassed for doing dumb a– things.’ “

Palomino is free on $10,000 bond with a condition of a 6 pm curfew. The teen was released into the custody of his mother, and will be arraigned on September 5 2014.

From NBC Bay Area and SFGate

UPDATED December 2 2015 — Palomino was sentenced to five years probation, including six months of community confinement in a halfway house, 200 hours of community service, and not owning a laser pointer. He also will be required to educate people about the consequences of aiming laser pointers at aircraft. From the Contra Costa Times

UK: Laser pointed at air ambulance over Warwick

A Midlands Air Ambulance was targeted by a laser beam over Warwick at an altitude of 1,200 ft., as it flew victims of an automobile accident to Coventry’s University Hospital on August 11 2014.

According to a trauma doctor on board, “Fortunately for us, the pilot is highly experienced and dealt with it. But, had the laser caught anyone’s eye albeit briefly, it can lead to blindness for at least ten minutes and a loss of spatial awareness. Had we not taken action and avoided being been dazzled, it would have prevented us landing until the visual effects had settled, delaying treatment of the casualty. It has the same effect as deliberately slowing down an ambulance en-route to hospital. If we can find whoever is responsible, we will seek to have them prosecuted.”

From the Stratford Observer and BBC News England

US: UPDATED - Guilty plea for Fresno man who aimed 50 times at CHP airplane

A Fresno, California man who illuminated a California Highway Patrol plane up to 50 times pleaded guilty on June 3 2014. He will be sentenced August 25.

David Walter Fee, 22, was charged with aiming a powerful green laser pointer at Air 43, a CHP aircraft. The pilot suffered temporary blindness and the aircraft was forced to break away from investigating a burglary in progress. Also charged along with Fee was Andrew Zarate, 20, also of Fresno. The disposition of his case is not known.

Fee faces up to five years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines when sentenced.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Fresno Office, California Highway Patrol, and Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen A. Escobar and Michael G. Tierney prosecuted the case.

From the Fresno Bee and the April 10 2014 U.S. Attorney’s Office press release about the indictment of Fee and Zarate.

UPDATED August 11 2014 - Zarate pleaded guilty to aiming a laser pointer at a California Highway Patrol airplane. He was scheduled to be sentenced November 3 2014. Fee pleaded guilty to the same offense in June and was scheduled to be sentenced August 25 2014. From an August 11 2014 U.S. Attorney’s Office press release about Zarate’s guilty plea.

UPDATED September 29 2014 - Fee was sentenced to 18 months in prison, plus two years of supervised release. From KMJ Now.

UPDATED November 3 2014 - Zarate was sentenced to one year in prison, plus two years of supervised release. From Ars Technica and ABC30.

UK: 5 months in prison -- suspended -- for aiming a laser at a police helicopter

A 26-year-old Bristol man was sentenced March 19 2014 to five months in prison, suspended for two years, for aiming a laser pen at a police helicopter. In addition, he must complete 200 hours of unpaid work within the next year.

On January 20 2014, a National Police Air Service helicopter was at 1500 feet altitude, searching for a missing person. Gavin Hoskins was "playing" with the laser, aiming it first at rooftops and then aiming 3-4 times at the helicopter. He did not think the laser had the range to reach the aircraft, which broke off the search to track Hoskins.

According to the prosecutor, “it does not appear that the pilot on this occasion was distracted.”

When arrested, Hoskins told police that the was sorry and had been "stupid" to use the laser pen, which was still in his pocket.

The laser had been purchased in Bulgaria for his young daughter, Haskins said to police.

At trial, Hoskins admitted recklessly or negligently acting in a manner likely to endanger an aircraft. His lawyer said “it was not a deliberate act to endanger the pilot of the helicopter.”

The judge called Hoskin's actions "stupid and potentially extremely dangerous" and noted that a number of recent helicopter crashes have resulted in "destruction and death."

Hoskins, a security guard, lost his job -- apparently due to negative publicity surrounding the case.

From BBC News and the Western Daily Press.

US: Dallas medic in helicopter suffers eye injury from laser on ground

A paramedic on a medical helicopter suffered an apparently temporarily eye injury by a green laser beam coming from the ground at about 4:35 am on January 17 2014.

Michael Pruitt, 30, was heading to St. Paul University Hospital in Dallas with a patient when a laser was aimed from the area of Interstate 35 and Harry Hines Boulevard. Pruitt was struck in the right eye.

The helicopter made an unplanned landing at Dallas Love Field. The patient, Pruitt, and the flight nurse rose in an ambulance to the hospital, a distance of about 2 miles. At the hospital, Pruitt’s eye injury was examined.

A Dallas Police Department incident report says Pruitt sustained “a burn to his right eye” and was “unable to see out of it.”

A spokesman for his employer, Air Evac Lifeteam, said “Its my understanding he’s fine.” But Pruitt’s father said his son still cannot see out of his eye and has a headache: “We think his eye will be fine, but you never know until it heals. He’s been in a lot of pain.”

An FAA spokesperson said this was “the most significant injury we’ve seen in the DFW area.”

From NBCDFW.com and WFAA.com

Australia: Perth-area man hampers search by aiming laser twice at police helicopter

A search for a missing elderly person in a Perth suburb was disrupted when a police helicopter was twice hit by a laser pointer beam. At about 6:50 pm on September 6 2013, the aircraft was helping in the search when it was hit the first time. It left to do a different task, and came back about 40 minutes later. It was then hit again.

At the same time, several commercial aircraft in the same area reported being hit.

The helicopter directed ground officers to a property in Koondoola. They seized a laser pointer and charged a 36-year-old man with causing fear with laser or light to people in conveyances.

From 7 News and the Herald Sun

UK: Couple found in bed, having aimed laser beam at search helicopter, then hiding laser pen under a mattress

A police helicopter was searching Hebburn (in Tyne and Wear) on May 8 2013 for a missing 11-year-old boy, when the cockpit filled with green laser light. The crew was startled and the pilot changed course. The beam was traced to a home in Hebburn. In a back bedroom, ground officers found two persons on a bed, 18-year-old Victoria Rayner and her 25-year-old boyfriend Robert Gilbert. Both denied having a laser pen. After a struggle during the arrest, officers found the laser pen under the mattress.

On August 27 2013, they both pleaded guilty to shining a light at an aircraft in flight so as to dazzle the pilot. Additionally, Gilbert pleaded guilty to resisting arrest. There is no prison term available for the offenses, only fines. They were fined a total of £305 (USD $473): a fine of £100 each, court costs of £85, and a victim surcharge of £20.
Click to read more...

US: Orlando-area tourist arrested for lasing helicopter during search mission

A tourist from Asheboro, North Carolina was arrested in Kissimmee, Florida (south of Orlando and east of Walt Disney World) on June 25 2013, and was charged with pointing a laser device at a pilot.


Ryan Paul Lucas - laser
Ryan Paul Lucas


The Osceola County Sheriff’s Department was searching for two missing boaters at around 11 pm. The pilot and observer said a green laser light blinded them three times. They were able to locate the source, a vacation rental property.

Deputies entered the house where Ryan Paul Lucas gave them the laser. The Sheriff’s Department quoted Lucas as telling the deputies that he “messed up and should not have shined the light at the helicopter.” Lucas was arrested and booked. One report said Lucas was 20 years old; another said he was 21.

The missing boaters were safety located, though it is not known whether they were found by the helicopter crew.

Pic 2013-06-26 at 7.40.44 PM
The suspect’s arrest location, marked “A”, is about 7-8 miles from theme parks at Walt Disney World


From AroundOsceola.com and Central Florida News Channel 13

US: UPDATED - 2 years probation in May 2012 St. Louis helicopter lasing

A St. Louis area man was sentenced on April 11 2013 to two year’s probation, two months home confinement and 40 hours of community service.

On May 18 2012, Michael Brandon Smith, then 35 years old, aimed a green laser beam at a St. Louis Metro Air Support helicopter that was investigating a burglary. The beam illuminated the cockpit several times. The vision of the pilot and observer was affected; the observer later said he had short-term vision problems. Ground units arrested Smith -- still with the laser in his hand -- at his residence in O’Fallon, Missouri. The incident diverted the helicopter from the burglary investigation.

Smith pleaded guilty in federal court in November 2012 to one felony count of aiming the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft.

From STLtoday.com and The Republic. The story was originally briefly reported in LaserPointerSafety.com.

US: UPDATED - 3 men, 1 woman indicted in 3 separate California incidents

On March 21 2013, a federal grand jury in California indicted four individuals who were involved in three separate incidents of aiming lasers at aircraft. In all three cases, charges were filed under both the 2012 Federal law making it illegal to aim pointers at aircraft or their flight path, and also under statutes making it illegal to interfere with the safe operation of an aircraft.

One of the defendants’ lawyers said the charges were overkill. KGET reported that David Torres, attorney for Brett Lee Scott, said “The penalty in the federal system with respect to this particular crime, doesn't fit at all. And, I think that when you look historically as to why this particular crime was enacted, it was enacted because of folks like Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda and folks that have these laser-guided missiles, things of that nature, where they didn't want folks pointing guided lasers up in the air, things of that nature. But, here you have teenagers doing this from time to time or other individuals who are unaware of what the law is.”

Indicted were:
  • Brett Lee Scott, 25, of Bakersfield CA. Alleged to have flashblinded sheriff’s office helicopter pilots for “minutes”, and causing disorientation. The laser strikes came over a 3-month period.
  • Sergio Patrick Rodriguez, aka Javier Rodrigues, 26, and his girlfriend, Jennifer Lorraine Coleman, 23, both of Clovis CA. Alleged to have deliberately targeted a medical helicopter from the Children’s Hospital Central California, as well as a police helicopter sent to investigate.
  • Charles Conrad Mahaffey, 22, of Clovis CA. Alleged to have aimed a red laser at a sheriff’s office helicopter, causing a law enforcement mission to be called off.

Additional details are in a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, reprinted below (click the “Read More…” link).

From KGET and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California

UPDATED November 4 2013: Charles Conrad Mahaffey pleaded guilty to the federal charge. He will be sentenced on January 27 2014.

UPDATED December 20 2013: Sergio Patrick Rodriguez was found guilty of attempting to interfere with a police helicopter. He and his girlfriend Jennifer Lorraine Coleman were also found guilty of aiming a laser pointer at the police helicopter. They will be sentenced March 10 2014.

UPDATED May 12 2014: Jennifer Lorraine Coleman was sentenced to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Brett Lee Scott pleaded guilty and will be sentenced July 21 2014. From the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California
Click to read more...

UK: Man fined £615 for disrupting police burglary call

A 35-year-old Reedswood man was fined £615 on November 12 2012, for aiming a laser pen at a police helicopter in Walsall, on July 21 2012. The helicopter was investigating a burglary when the laser light illuminated the cockpit for several seconds. The pilot moved the craft to avoid the beam. The incident was captured on video.

Ian Collins pleaded guilty to “shining a light at an aircraft in flight so as to dazzle or distract the pilot”. He paid a £400 fine plus £200 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

From the Express & Star

Scotland: Warning in Strathclyde after helicopter breaks off mission

Strathclyde police warned against misuse of lasers, after an October 31 2012 incident in Lanarkshire. A helicopter investigating a robbery was forced to stand down after being targeted by a laser. The person responsible has not been found.

The November 12 2012 warning noted that “Shining a laser at a force helicopter or other aircraft has the potential to bring that aircraft down…. [I]t could lead to someone being seriously injured or worse.”

From the Evening Times

US: Spokane County searches called off due to laser interference

Searches by the “Air One” helicopter in Spokane County, Washington, are being called off due to laser pointer interference. In July 2012, the helicopter was targeted five times. Other local air crews with MedStar and Fairchild Air Force Base have had trouble as well. Authorities are asking the public for help in stopping the laser strikes.

From KREM

US: Laser causes Coast Guard in SC to break off search; 3rd time in 3 weeks

For the third time in three weeks, a South Carolina Coast Guard mission was broken off due to lasers being aimed at a helicopter. As a result, a 60 mile stretch of beach, the “Grand Strand”, is now identified as “very high risk” to Coast Guard aircrews. The area includes Myrtle Beach, which has had continuing problems with laser harassment and misuse.

On August 8 2012, three orange flares were spotted near Garden City Beach, S.C. A helicopter from Air Facility Charleston, S.C. arrived in the area when it was illuminated by a laser. Under Coast Guard rules, the helicopter broke off its mission and the aircrew underwent medical inspection. One crew member had direct laser exposure and was not cleared to fly again for roughly 12 hours.

A boat was sent to continue the search, but did not arrive at the scene until about two hours after the helicopter had left. At dawn, a second helicopter was sent out. Neither the boat nor the helicopter found anything unusual.

The commanding officer of the Coast Guard’s Air Station Savannah said “… every time we send our aircrews to the Grand Strand, we're telling them to fly into the equivalent of a storm, where it's almost guaranteed they'll be hit. We're simply asking the public to stop putting Coast Guard men and women in senseless and unnecessary danger."

From CarolinaLive. See a related story about the first two Coast Guard laser incidents, in July 2012, in the same area.

US: UPDATED - Coast Guard makes "emergency landing" after S.C.laser illumination

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter, searching for a missing boater near Charleston S.C., made an emergency landing after a laser was aimed into the cockpit from shore on July 16 2012. According to Carolina Live, the Coast Guard requires an eye exam for each person on board after any laser incident. They must then be cleared by a flight surgeon before they can return to flight duty.

The story did not say whether the helicopter crew broke off their mission, or whether they completed the search before the landing. It also does not give a definition or details of the emergency; for example, whether merely having the laser in the cockpit required an emergency landing under Coast Guard procedures, or whether the crew experienced any vision or operational difficulties.

There have been six laser incidents with Savannah air station-based Coast Guard helicopters in the last year and a half, with four of these occurring during searches.

From CarolinaLive.com. In addition to this story, see additional stories at LaserPointerSafety.com about ongoing problems at Myrtle Beach.

UPDATE July 28 2012: A story at Myrtle Beach Online describes the ordeal of the missing boaters, and how lasers twice forced Coast Guard helicopters to break off the search. It also has additional details about Coast Guard procedures once a laser is seen.

Canada: Calgary man gets house arrest in 2010 helicopter lasing case

A Calgary man was sentenced on June 18 2012 to two months house arrest, four months with a 10 pm to 5 am curfew and six months of probation, all resulting from an 2010 laser illumination of a Calgary police helicopter. In addition, Jason John McConnell, 35, will perform 25 hours of community service, will receive counseling, and is not permitted to possess a laser pointer.Click to read more...

UK: £465 fine for 12-minute lasing of police helicopter

On February 11 2012, a police helicopter was flashed with a laser pen over a 12-minute period. The pilots “became completely dazzled” and broke off their search for a burglary suspect to deal with Lukasz Tetich, 28, who was quickly arrested in Croydon, a suburb 10 miles south of London.

At a hearing on June 11 2012, Tetich was fined £465 and his laser pen was ordered to be destroyed.

Lukasz Tetich, laser
Lukasz Tetich


From This Is Croydon Today

Canada: UPDATED - Police helicopter forced to land after repeated Class 3A laser attacks

A Durham Regional Police helicopter was forced to land after being repeatedly illuminated by a laser, later determined to be Class 3A (maximum power less than 5 milliwatts). The maximum power allowed to be sold as a pointer in Canada is Class 3A.

The April 21 2012 incident happened in Uxbridge, 75 km northeast of Toronto. It was looking for vandals when struck by a laser numerous times over several minutes. The helicopter set down at a nearby police station, and the pilot was taken to a hospital. He was released with no apparent damage, but a police spokesperson said it could take several days for damage to emerge.

20-year-old Melissa Perry of Uxbridge was arrested, and charged with lessening the ability of a crew member to perform duties, interfering with the duties of a crew member, projecting a bright light at an aircraft, mischief endangering life, assault with a weapon and common nuisance. It is unclear from news reports whether Perry was associated with the vandals.

From DurhamRegion.com, Global Toronto and Canada.com

Analysis from LaserPointerSafety.com: If the laser is really Class 3A (less than 5 mW maximum power), the pilot’s eyes were unharmed. The Nominal Ocular Hazard Distance for a 5 mW laser with a tight 1 milliradian beam is 52 feet. This means that laser safety experts have concluded that no eye injury could occur past 52 feet. If the pilot was airborne, his eyes were likely much farther than 52 feet from the laser. (Global Toronto reported the helicopter was at 5000 feet, but that is very high for vandal surveillance; 500 feet is more reasonable.)
Plus, as explained on the Laser Safety Calculations page, there are additional factors that go into the NOHD. The result of these factors is that a 5 mW laser would have to be within 16.4 feet of a person’s eyes before there was a 50/50 chance of causing a minimally detectable eye injury. This is not opinion; this is scientific fact based on how the NOHD is derived.

UPDATE, NOVEMBER 2012: On September 21 2012, Perry pleaded guilty to one charge of violating the Aviation Act by shining a bright light at an aircraft. She was fined $500. All other charges were dropped by the Crown. From DurhamRegion.com.

Scotland: Glasgow man jailed for 9 months, for disrupting helicopter search

A 22-year-old Glasgow man was sentenced on April 19 2012 to nine months in jail for deliberately lasing a Strathclyde police helicopter on September 12 2009.

Christopher Paton repeatedly aimed a 40 milliwatt green laser at the aircraft, over a period of about 10 minutes. The light dazzled the pilot and crew, and the flight path was adjusted. The laser was recorded by an on-board camera, enabling Paton’s house in Castlemilk to be pinpointed. The helicopter had been was searching for two lost 4-year-olds in Toryglen. After the search was completed, ground officers were notified. They found Paton in his back garden, where he admitted using the laser and was arrested.

From BBC News

UK: UPDATED - Bristol man tried for forcing police helicopter to land after laser dazzle

A police helicopter pilot had impaired vision from a green laser pen, forcing him to land “at the nearest possible opportunity” in a December 3 2012 incident in the Hartcliffe district of Bristol. On March 20 2012, 31-year-old Stuart Bowering pleaded guilty to negligently acting in a manner likely to endanger an aircraft. Sentencing has not yet been imposed; the maximum penalty is six months imprisonment.

Stuart Bowering laser
Stuart Bowering


Pilot Paul Maddox told Bristol Magistrates’ Court that the light lasted about 15 seconds. An observer crew member said “the shafts of light were moving around the cockpit, restricting me from my task.” They were able to locate Bowering on the ground, where he was arrested. He told officers he had borrowed the laser pen and did not realize the beam would reach to the helicopter. According to his lawyer, Bowering was aware that lasing aircraft was illegal.

From This Is Bristol

Update April 10 2012: Bowering avoided jail “by a whisker” according to the judge, who sentenced him to a 12-month community order. He must attend a Thinking and Skills course, has a 90-day curfew between 9 pm and 6:30 am, and has to repay £200 in court costs. The judge said Bowering had been using the laser to play with his dogs, when he aimed it into the air. The initial illumination of the helicopter was an accident, but then it was repeated, the judge found. The pilot told the court that he had “temporary black spots” in his vision which almost caused him to stray into Bristol Airport’s airspace, which could have caused the diversion of a commercial flight that was on approach. From the Guardian

UK: UPDATED - Slap on wrist for 2 men who prevented medical helicopter from landing

Two Chippenham men who admitted lasing a medical helicopter so it could not land to pick up a heart attack patient, were fined £278 each and were given a conditional discharge -- no punishment if no further offense is committed -- on March 12 2012.

Late in the evening of September 7 2011, 21-year-olds Alex Cox and Luke Fortune aimed a green laser at an air ambulance trying to land in Calne. The men disagreed about whether the laser could reach the helicopter. Cox thought it would; Fortune thought it would not. In court testimony, the men also disagreed about which one of them aimed at the helicopter.

The pilot tried three times to land but could not due to the laser interference. An ambulance was called to pick up the patient, a man in his 70’s suffering a heart attack. It took 25 minutes to reach the Great Western Hospital in Swindon by road; it would have been 10 minutes by air. According to the ambulance service, it was “unlikely” that the helicopter would have been able to reach the hospital in time to save the man.

Cox and Fortune pleaded guilty to directing or shining a light at an aircraft in flight so as to dazzle or distract the pilot. They told the court their actions were stupid and very dangerous, and that they were sorry.

A Daily Mail article about the case has a sidebar listing four “laser pen pests” who received sentences from four to eight months, in cases ranging over the April-November 2011 timeframe.

From the Daily Mail. The original LaserPointerSafety.com news item about the incident, from September 2011, is here.

UK: "High powered" laser diverts police from 999 call

A police helicopter answering a 999 emergency call was diverted by a “high powered” green laser pointer as it flew near Coventry on September 28 2011. The helicopter was searching for intruders in a woman’s garden. A 16-year-old man and a 33-year-old man were arrested on suspicion of recklessly endangering an aircraft.

An air operations supervisor said “such acts defy belief.” He noted that police can easily locate laser offenders and ground units can arrive “very quickly.”

The Cambridge News said that in 2010, there were five incidents involving lasers being aimed at the Cambridgeshire police helicopter.

From the
Coventry Telegraph and the Cambridge News

UK: UPDATED - Laser pens prevent medical copter from landing

A medical helicopter was unable to land to pick up a patient, after laser pens were aimed at the aircraft. The patient was then put into a waiting ambulance for land transportation. He died enroute to the hospital. Officials said they do not believe the delay affected the outcome, but called it a “serious offense” and are looking for the persons involved.

Late on September 7 2011, paramedics and an ambulance responded to a call about an elderly man who had collapsed in Caine, Wiltshire. They found the man had gone into cardiac arrest, and they called for the assistance of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance helicopter. It landed at the site but then took off again to burn fuel in order to carry the patient. As it tried to land for a second time, a “group of yobs” flashed laser pens at the pilot. He broke off the landing. The patient was then taken by ambulance to Great Western Hospital in Swindon, 20 miles away by road. Upon arrival, the man was pronounced dead after midnight on September 8.

Police said “at this stage, we are satisfied that the helicopter not being able to land did not affect the outcome of this incident.” They are searching for the laser-wielding perpetrators and are beginning a criminal investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call (0845) 4087000.

From The Independent , Wiltshire Times and BBC News

UPDATE September 15 2011: A story in the Gazette and Herald has some additional details about the incident.

UPDATE 2 March 15 2012: The two persons involved, Alex Cox and Luke Fortune, pleaded guilty. They had to pay £278 each and were given a conditional discharge (no punishment provided that no further offense is committed). More details are in a LaserPointerSafety.com news item here.