A comprehensive resource for safe and responsible laser use

Germany: UPDATED - Demonstrations at G20 summit target police helicopter

On July 6 2017, two police helicopter pilots were blinded by lasers aimed from the ground, during violent “Welcome to Hell” demonstrations protesting the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. Media reports did not indicate how badly the pilots’ vision was affected.

Seventy-four other police officers were injured; one was hospitalized with an eye injury after a firework exploded in his face.

From the Mirror and Reuters

UPDATED JULY 9 2017 - After intensive investigations, German police arrested a 27-year-old Hamburg man “on suspicion of attempted murder”. The unnamed man blinded the two pilots “so badly while they were up in the air that they had to stop working because they couldn’t see.”

From FoxBusiness

Germany: Eight months for 49-year-old man who aimed at aircraft and police helicopter

A 49-year-old German man was sentenced May 31 2017 to eight months in prison for aiming a laser at a police helicopter.

In August 2016, several aircraft flying in or out of Berlin Schönefeld Airport reported glare from a laser beam A police helicopter was sent to investigate, and was also hit by laser light.

The unnamed perpetrator later said in court he had not been aiming at anything specific in the night sky, and that he did not see the helicopter.

He was sentenced in Zossen (Brandenburg) District Court; Zossen is about 20 miles south of Berlin.

From Spiegel Online in original German and in Google-translated English. Thanks to Alex Hennig for bringing this to our attention.

Luxembourg: Laser beam aimed at Air Rescue helicopter

On May 5 2015, a laser beam was aimed at a Luxembourg Air Rescue helicopter flying near the German border. It is not known which country the beam originated from.

At about 10 pm local time, the crew noticed a laser beam aimed at their aircraft. They were able to avoid having the beam go directly into their eye, thanks to quick reaction due to training which LAR holds on a regular basis.

A compaint was filed with Luxembourg Airport police. The incident did not interrupt a mission as the helicopter was returning from a German hospital when the laser beam was spotted.

From the Luxemburger Wort
Click to read more...

Germany: Teen on Berlin roof lases three aircraft; is released to parents

Three Air Berlin aircraft were hit by a laser beam while landing at Berlin Tegel Airport on September 8 2013. The pilots were reported to have been blinded. A helicopter located the source, a 14-year-old boy on a rooftop about 10 km (6.2 miles) from the airport. It is unclear whether the laser was also aimed at the helicopter.

The teen admitted to ground officers that he had lased the aircraft. His laser pointer was confiscated and he was handed over to his parents. He faces an investigation for “a serious intervention into the air.”

An airport spokesperson said that there were 27 laser incidents in Berlin during 2012, and 261 in all of Germany.

From BZ-Berlin (original German text and Google-translated English text) and T-Online (original German text and Google-translated English text)

Germany: Man suspected in multiple laser incidents

A 43-year-old man was arrested March 30 2011 after a pilot was “blinded strongly” while landing at the Münster Osnabrück International Airport (“A” below) in South Saxony. A woman in Georgsmarienhütte (“B” below, about 30 km from the airport) reported the man had been using a laser pointer in a residential area. Police found the man with a 15 cm (6 in) laser.


A number of similar illuminations from Georgsmarienhütte had been previously reported. Police said they would investigate whether the man arrested was responsible for the other illuminations as well. The man would be charged with “dangerous interference with the aircraft”, which carries a sentence of six months to 10 years.

From NWZ Online and Bild.de (both in German)