A comprehensive resource for safe and responsible laser use

US: 37-year-old lases police aircraft, arrested; 7-year-old hits same aircraft, let go

On July 23 2016, a Portland police aircraft was illuminated by laser light. The beam was traced to David Martinez, 37, who was arrested on charges of recklessly endangering another person, and unlawful directing light from a laser pointer. The laser pointer was confiscated.

David Martinez laser
David Martinez


While the first incident was being investigated, another laser illuminated the aircraft. This was traced to a 7-year-old. The child’s mother was given the laser pointer, along with a lecture about the dangers of aiming at aircraft. The child was not charged.

The distance between the two laser users was about 4 miles. The map below shows the ground location of the first and second incidents:

portland map 37-year-old 7-year-old

On July 25 Martinez pleaded not guilty to the two charges. He has prior court records which include felony unauthorized use of a vehicle and failure to appear. He also has been charged with heroin delivery and possession of heroin and methamphetamine; that case is pending.

From the Associated Press via the Register-Guard, and OregonLive

US: UPDATED - Tulsa man says he was not aware his laser was aimed at a police helicopter

A Tulsa man arrested February 15 2014 says he was pointing a laser pointer at trees and a cellphone tower when a Tulsa Police Department helicopter began hovering in front of his house and then police, Homeland Security and the FBI knocked on his door.

Carl Floyd said “I was freaking out. At first, I didn't know what was going on, then they told me what was going on and I first I denied it because I was nervous. It was 100 percent accident, not intentional, to hit an aircraft or put anybody else in danger.”

Carl Floyd laser
Carl Floyd


The helicopter pilot said he was hit three or four times by the green laser light, and that he doesn’t believe it was an accident.

Floyd’s case will go to a grand jury, which will decide whether to indict him on federal charges with a potential penalty of up to five years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines.

Tulsa laser incident map 2014
A map of the Tulsa area showing recent (2013) laser incidents


From NewsOn6.com and Tulsa World

UPDATED November 13 2014 - A federal jury deadlocked in July 2014. During the trial, Floyd said he was aiming at objects such as a cell tower, a mailbox and a tree, and he did not knowingly illuminate the helicopter. Just before a second trial in November, he made a plea agreement where he pleaded guilty; saying he “knowingly aimed the beam of a laser pointer at the flight path of a helicopter that I was aware was flying nearby.” He said he had suffered severe injuries in a July 21 2014 motorcycle accident. The prosecution agreed that in light of his medical condition, a probationary sentence be imposed. Sentencing is scheduled for February 20 2015. From the Tulsa World.

US: FBI terrorism unit called in to find lasers aimed at New York-area aircraft

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is looking for the source of two laser illuminations of airplanes approaching New York’s LaGuardia Airport. The October 18 2013 announcement offered a reward for information in the incidents.

At 7:35 pm on October 15 2013, a Shuttle America (Delta Connection) airplane was on final approach, six miles from the runway, when the cockpit was lit up by green laser light. The crew said the laser source was west of the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx (green marker in the map below)

At 10:37 pm the same day, a private aircraft two miles southwest of LaGuardia reported a green laser. The laser source was near the intersection of Broadway and Steinway Streets in Queens (red marker).

New York map copy 2
The two locations are about 7 miles apart directly or 11 miles by roadway; driving between the two sites would take about 20 minutes.


No one on either aircraft was injured by the laser beam, according to the FBI.

There were 54 reported laser incidents involving LaGuardia thus far in 2013, with 18 reports at Newark International Airport and 17 reports involving John F. Kennedy International Airport.

From the Associated Press via Global News and ABC News, and from the Daily Mail. Click the “Read More…” link for the FBI press release.

Click to read more...

US: Florida man charged with felony after lasing sheriff's helicopter

A 20-year-old man from Plant City, Florida was charged with a third degree felony for aiming a laser device at a St Lucie County Sheriff’s Office helicopter, around June 27 2013. The penalty is up to five years in jail and a $200,000 fine.

Brian Alan Hart laser
Brian Alan Hart


The helicopter was on routine patrol over Fort Pierce when someone in a black pickup truck pointed a green laser beam at the aircraft, twice. Ground deputies arrested front seat passenger Brian Alan Hart, who had a green laser pointer in his boot. The arresting officer told hard the light could have caused a crash. Hart apologized and said that “he didn’t understand the magnitude of what he had done.”

A Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said laser incidents “happen about once a month.”

Pic 2013-06-28 at 3.09.07 PM
The “A” marks the location of the incident.


From TCPalm.com and WPTV.com

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 - Phoenix police helicopter lased twice in one night; one arrest made

A Phoenix police department helicopter was illuminated twice in one night by a laser beam, early in the morning of May 29 2013. No arrest was made in the first incident, which occurred shortly after midnight. Two hours later, and 15 miles away by air, the helicopter was once again illuminated. An unidentified man was arrested in the second incident. A police spokesperson said there was no immediate indication of any crew injury in either incident.

Pic 2013-05-29 at 2.40.36 PM

The first incident occurred at the red square location, the second incident occurred two hours and 15 miles away at the green triangle location.


From MyFoxPhoenix.com

UPDATE May 30 2013 - An arrest was made in the second incident. Ralph Rubi, Jr., 37, of Phoenix was arrested on three charges of endangerment. Police said they found a laser device in his home, and that Rubi was a suspect in a previous incident involving a helicopter landing at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. From RTT News, AZfamily.com, and CBS 5.

Pic 2013-06-27 at 3.53.15 PM
Ralph Rubi



US: JetBlue pilot reports minor laser injury over Long Island

The FAA is reporting that a JetBlue pilot suffered an unspecified minor injury to his eye, caused by a green laser beam while over Deer Park on New York’s Long Island. The incident happened July 15 2012 as Flight 657 was at 5,000 feet altitude about 35 miles east of its destination, JFK International Airport.

The First Officer was in command of the aircraft when two flashes of green laser light came into the cockpit, about 10 minutes before the plane landed safely at JFK. After landing, he went to a local hospital for an examination. Apparently, no other person on the flight was adversely affected by the laser light.

The FAA and FBI are investigating the incident.

JetBlue flight 657 laser Long Island
Flight path of JetBlue Flight 657 on July 15 2012, from
FlightAware


From myfoxny.com, NYCAviation.com, NBC 4 New York, and ABC News.

Commentary from LaserPointerSafety.com: The FAA defines a laser eye “injury” as anything which happens to an eye, including temporary afterimages and watering eyes. According to this definition, around 1.5% of all laser illuminations of aircraft result in an eye “injury”. In 2011 there were 55 FAA-reported “injuries” out of 3,191 total laser incidents. From Jan 1 to June 28 2012, there were 20 “injuries” out of 1,519 incidents.

Almost all of what FAA calls “injuries” are in fact normal eye effects resulting from bright light exposure. For example, a person temporarily flashblinded by a camera’s flash would be “injured” according to FAA, although eye safety experts clearly state that an afterimage is temporary bleaching of photoreceptors and is not an injury.

Using a scientific definition of visible laser eye injury, meaning a minimally visible lesion on the retina, there have been no documented permanent laser eye injuries to pilots in any of the over 11,000 FAA laser incidents on record. This is according to FAA’s top laser/aviation safety expert. There have been roughly 3-5 temporary laser eye injuries where pilots had a lesion which was medically visible, and which subsequently healed to leave no spots or other adverse vision effect.

This is not to discount any eye effect or distraction of pilots -- aiming lasers at aircraft is a crime and a serious safety issue. But FAA should be more accurate, and give additional information, when providing information about pilot eyes affected by laser light.
.

US: UPDATED - Calif. teen lases private jet, then police helicopter

A teenager on March 29 2012 aimed a green laser first at a private jet landing at Burbank’s Bob Hope Airport, then at a Pasadena police helicopter looking for the laser source. The 18-year-old was quickly located and arrested in North Hollywood, about 1.5 miles from the airport. He admitted aiming the laser at aircraft.

Pic 2012-04-02 at 9.41.32 AM
The teen was arrested at a location (A) about 1.5 miles from the airport (black square).


The jet was illuminated twice while on approach to the airport. The helicopter was hit approximately six times. There were no injuries, or adverse effects on airport operations.

The teen’s name was withheld pending an FBI investigation.

From the Burbank Leader and North Hollywood Patch

UPDATED April 19 2012: Adam Gardenhire, 18, was charged on April 18 2012 with two federal counts of aiming a laser at an aircraft, in violation of a new law that took effect in mid-February. The teen faces up to 10 years in prison. More details are in a LaserPointerSafety.com story.

UPDATED March 26 2013: Gardenhire was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison. The judge said he wanted to send a message to others. More details are in a LaserPointerSafety.com story.

US: UPDATED - Orlando man arrested for lasing aircraft 23 times in 3 months

An Orlando-area man was arrested for aiming laser beams at least 23 times from January to March 2012 at aircraft taking off from Orlando International Airport. [UPDATED - May 16 2012: Hanson pleaded guilty to one count; he faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. UPDATE 2 - August 23 2012: Hanson received a six month prison sentence, plus one year probation and had to pay $10,000 restitution.]

Glenn Stephen Hansen laser
Glenn Stephen Hansen


Glenn Stephen Hansen, 49, told arresting FBI agents that he aimed a laser pointer as “stress relief” from “noise anxiety” due to aircraft flying overhead. He had filed over 500 complaints against the noise. He told the agents that airplanes “purposefully flew lower over his house in response to the noise complaints.” He was aware that shining the laser at aircraft was “wrong” but that he “had no idea” that the light could affect the pilots and cause a hazard.

Hansen was arrested March 24 2012 on new federal charges signed into law Feb. 14 by President Obama. He faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

LaserPointerSafety.com is not aware of any other person being arrested for so many laser incidents. If Hansen is responsible for 23 incidents, that represents 3.4% of all U.S. incidents, and 96% of all incidents involving Orlando International Airport, during the period in question (from January 1 through March 23).

Pic 2012-03-27 at 11.51.04 AM
Hansen was arrested at a home about 7 miles southwest of Orlando International Airport (black square).


The FBI investigation started after a January 8 2012 incident involving an AirTran departure that was 400 feet in the air when the pilot was flashed with a green light. He was tracked for 30-60 seconds, to an altitude of 2000 feet. The pilot took evasive actions including turning off all lights, making a sharp left turn, and asking for a change of course. The pilot told the FBI “he was concerned he could lose vision on the plane.”

The FBI focused on Hansen due to his previous noise complaints. Because of the accuracy of the laser “hits”, they believed Hansen was tracking flights on public websites. His home was placed under surveillance. At about 9 pm March 23 they observed a green beam coming from his house, shining towards an aircraft. (The pilot stated that the light illuminated the cockpit but did not go directly in his eye.) Hansen was arrested at about 4 am the next morning.

From the Orlando Sentinel and the criminal complaint/search warrant. The text of the U.S. Attorney’s office press release is below (click the “Read More…” link).

Click to read more...

US: Florida man arrested for New Year's Eve laser tracking

Jordan Johnston, 36, spent New Year 2012 in custody for tracking a helicopter with a green laser beam. The helicopter, shared by Gainesville (Florida) police and the local Sheriff’s office, was hit by the laser after only a few minutes in the air. The laser beam was traced back to a home where New Year’s Eve fireworks were being set off. Johnston told police he was trying to aim the laser through the fireworks smoke. However, a police spokesperson said the helicopter was “continually followed … through the flight path.”

Pic 2012-01-02 at 1.58.10 PM
It is about 1/2 mile from the helicopter’s location when it was hit (open red circle) to the home where Johnston was arrested (black square), in north Gainesville.


Johnston was arrested for a third-degree felony, misuse of a laser device.

From Gainesville.com

US: Ventura County helicopter ends search due to laser danger

A Ventura County (California) Sheriff’s Department helicopter broke off a search for a gang shooting suspect, after being illuminated two times by a laser beam.

The December 27 2011 incident began as the aircraft was hovering 500 feet above the crime scene in Fillmore. A laser beam was aimed at the cockpit. The crew broke off to find the suspect, but was unable to locate them. The helicopter returned to the crime scene where a laser was once again pointed at them. The crew broke off once more. A potential suspect was identified, but ground units determined the person was not involved.

The crew then made the determination that due to the laser aimings it was too dangerous to fly. They ended both the search for the shooting suspect, and the search for the laser perpetrator.

A sheriff’s department spokesperson said there had been several previous laser illuminations of the helicopter in Fillmore. He was unsure whether the Dec. 27 incident was related, but said “I would hope they are related, because if they are not, that would mean there is more than one person doing it.”

From the Ventura County Star

UPDATE December 29 2011 (1:49 PM): An arrest has been made in this case. Torrey Phillips, 20, was arrested on December 28 on an outstanding felony warrant stemming from two criminal threats convictions. Deputies found a green laser in his possession. Bail was set at $40,000. The Ventura County Star story does not state how deputies linked Phillips with the previous evening’s lasing of the sheriff’s department helicopter.

Pic 2012-01-02 at 2.26.56 PM
It is about 1600 feet (ground distance) from the helicopter location (open red circle) to Phillips’ home where he was arrested (black square). Address information from
KEYT.

.

US: Long Island man arrested after aiming laser at plane, then police helicopter

David Smith was arrested after first aiming a laser at an aircraft, and then aiming at the police helicopter searching for the laser source.

On December 5 2011, a small single-engine plane was preparing to land at Republic Airport in Farmingdale, Long Island, NY. The pilot reported seeing a light aimed towards him (some sources say it was red, others say it was green). FAA officials informed Suffolk County police. The Suffolk Police helicopter sent to investigate was also targeted by the laser. They easily traced the laser back to its source, Smith’s home in St. James, NY. Ground units then moved in to arrest the 21-year-old. It took about an hour from the time of the FAA call to Smith’s arrest.

David Smith laser
David Smith, arrested for lasing aircraft


On December 9, Smith was charged with “obstructing governmental administration in the second degree”. Additional charges may be filed by the Port Authority Terrorism Task Force and perhaps the FAA and other governmental agencies.

Click to read more...

Canada: B.C. man arrested 7 1/2 months after helicopter lasing incident

On April 15 2011, a laser was pointed at a Royal Canadian Mounted Police helicopter in Vancouver, B.C. There was no injury to the pilot or passenger, according to LangleyAdvance.

On December 1 2011, Alexander William Schiller of Langley, B.C. was arrested for the crime. The 30-year-old was charged under the Aeronautics Act with endangering an aircraft by interfering with a crew member, and by creating an airspace hazard. He also faces a criminal charge of mischief. Schiller’s court appearance is scheduled for September 2012.

It is unclear what caused the delay in arresting Schiller, or the delay in bringing him to trial.

Pic 2011-12-01 at 7.38.16 PM
The red “A” locates East 17th Ave. and St. Catherines Street, where Schiller is alleged to have aimed a laser pointer at an RCMP helicopter.


According to a CBC report, “only a handful” of Canadians have been prosecuted. A pilot spokesperson was quoted as saying “The justice system is sort of behind the times on this.”

From CBC News and LangleyAdvance
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US: Lasers hit 4 planes at LaGuardia Friday, 2 more Saturday

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is asking for leads in six laser incidents involving aircraft landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport on Friday Nov. 4 and Saturday Nov. 5, 2011. The green laser beams came from an area roughly five miles southwest of the airport (area circled in red on map below).

Pic 2011-11-07 at 6.11.03 PM

Four commuter jets were illuminated on Friday between 6:06 and 7:56 pm. On Saturday, a commuter jet and a Boeing 757 were illuminated around 7:00 pm. The aircraft were between 1600 and 2500 feet when struck by the laser beams. There were no reports of injuries, eye effects, or flight deviations.

Aviation expert John Trepani said the clustering of the incidents was troubling: “That’s unusual and highly disturbing. Do we have people fooling around or do we have people who have bad intentions to airliners using a sighting, using a laser as a sighter, a weapon’s sighter, just to see the reaction, just to see if Homeland Security takes this seriously?”

Trepani was also troubled by the fact that all aircraft landed on Runway 4, which CBS called “one of the most difficult runways at LaGuardia” (although this claim was disputed by a pilot in the comments).

Anyone with information can contact local police and/or the FAA. LaserPointerSafety.com has a page about how to report laser incidents; the page includes FAA contact information.

From MSNBC.com and CBS New York
.

Russia: Aeroflot pilot "barely averted" a crash due to teen aiming laser pointer

The pilot of an Airbus 320 with 128 people on board said he “barely averted a crash” after a laser beam “remained in the cockpit almost until the plane touched down”. The laser attack occurred at 5:49 a.m. local time September 22 2011 in Barnaul, capital of the Russian federal district Altai Krai, in Siberia. The laser was wielded by a 15-year-old boy who could not sleep and aimed a pointer out his window.

The boy told police that he “had not planned to blind the pilot and had only directed the beam at the flashing lights of the airplane.” Police said his parents would be fined 500 rubles (USD $15) for negligence.

The deputy chief of police at the Barnaul airport, Andrey Spiridonov, said that tragedy was avoided by a miracle.

Pic 2011-09-25 at 2.34.43 PM
The laser pointer being displayed by police; the boy’s apartment building, mother and bedroom window. Larger versions are in a
photo gallery at Altapress.ru.

Pic 2011-09-25 at 3.00.54 PM
Barnaul, Altai Krai federation, Siberia

Pic 2011-09-25 at 3.41.08 PM
It is about 4.5 miles from Barnaul Airport (red marker) to the boy’s apartment building (green marker) at 35 Sunny Glades. Click on map for a larger image.

Analysis, news links and additional details are after the jump (click “Read More…” below).

Click to read more...

US: Orlando teen suspected in multiple lasings of planes

After a rash of Orlando-area laser illuminations on commercial aircraft, a helicopter searching for suspects was illuminated six times by 17-year-old Stefano Fronte-Liporacci. The Venezuelan student was in possession of a green laser when he was arrested by ground units on August 28 2011. He was charged with knowingly aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft, a felony.

Pic 2011-08-30 at 5.40.44 PM
Fronte-Liporacci was arrested at a home (“A” above) near Orlando International Airport.


Beginning on August 24, pilots from Jet Blue, Southwest and Atlantic Coast Airlines had reported a total of four laser incidents. This prompted the August 28 search by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department helicopter.

From My Fox Orlando and ClickOrlando.com

Canada: Oshawa teen arrested after lasing copter. UPDATE: Five more teens charged

An 18-year-old was arrested after a “strong” green laser strike on a Durham Regional Police helicopter, on July 29 2011. An officer on the aircraft (not the pilot) experienced “vision problems” and was examined at a local hospital. Robert Roughly was arrested at his home on Dunrobin Court in Oshawa, 60 miles northwest of Toronto.

Pic 2011-08-11 at 6.11.46 AM
Roughly’s home is within a kilometer of Oshawa Airport


The teenager faces the following charges:

  • Project Bright Light Source at Aircraft (Canadian Aviation Act)
  • Interfere with Performance of Duties of any Crew Member (Aeronautics Act)
  • Lessen the Ability of any Crew Member to Perform Duties (Aeronautics Act)
  • Assault with a Weapon Causing Bodily Harm
  • Mischief Endangering Life
  • Common Nuisance
Each charge under the Aeronautics Act has a maximum fine of $100,000 and/or five years in prison.

From
680 News and Oye! Times

UPDATE August 8 2011: Investigators announced the arrests of five more teens: Dale Branton, Alana Capesky, Andrew Capesky, Curtis Lee, and Aaron Mountjoy. Each person is 18 years old. The five teens were charged with the same counts as Roughly (see list above). According to the National Post, “Witness testimony and unspecified investigations led police to allege that the six accused took turns passing the laser around and aiming it at the helicopter.” From CityTV Toronto, Canoe.ca, DurhamRegion.com and the National Post

Russia: Laser beam shines on Moscow airplane

Moscow police are searching for the person who aimed a laser beam at an aircraft landing at Domodedovo Airport on July 25 2010. Three incidents also happened at the same airport in June, according to authorities.

In a related story, Russia Today has posted a video showing what it looks like to be in an aircraft during a laser illumination:


Frame showing point of maximum dazzle when a laser beam hits the aircraft’s cockpit window. Click to see the
YouTube video.

From UPI, and from Russia Today via YouTube

UPDATE July 28 2011: Bloomberg quotes news agency RIA Novosti as saying a suspect was caught on July 27. The 26-year-old told police “he couldn’t even imagine that his actions could cause a plane to crash.” The news agency says the suspect was 40 kilometers from the airport on Kosygin (Kosygina) Street in western Moscow.


The map shows the suspect’s location (A) in relation to Domodedovo Airport (B)

US: Pilot's video & research helps FBI find & convict Chicago-area man

A pilot’s videotaped research helped the FBI find a laser pointer in a door-to-door search, in the Chicago suburb of Brookfield. The pointer’s owner, Jason G. Heeringa was arrested in 2010. On July 12 2011 the 29-year-old pleaded guilty in a plea bargain arrangement to misdemeanor counts of aggravated assault and battery.


Two years probation, $250 fine and 240 hours of community service

Essential to the conviction was a video analysis done by a pilot who had been illuminated multiple times by Heeringa.

Click to read more...

US: Tucson man arrested; video shows laser illumination

20-year-old Alama Nicholson Jeffs was charged with two counts of endangerment for aiming a green laser beam at a police helicopter in Tucson, on July 13 2011. The light disoriented the crew, but no injuries were reported.

Jeffs is also suspected of aiming a day earlier towards aircraft landing at Tucson International Airport; charges have not yet been brought.


The night before the arrest, commercial aircraft approaching Tucson International Airport reported lasers coming from the area of Ryan Field. The suspect’s home (A) is about 4 miles from Ryan Field, and is 11 miles from TIA.

The helicopter illumination, and subsequent tracking of Jeffs by night vision camera, was captured on video released by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department:


Click to see the full video

From the Green Valley News

US: UPDATED - Protective laser glasses help catch L.A. lasing suspects

Two Los Angeles men were arrested on multiple charges for lasing a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter on July 4 2011. Floyd Atkins, 22, and Alvaro Jimenez, 20, are also being investigated for a string of incidents over the past six months, where lasers were aimed at law enforcement helicopters and at airliners landing at Los Angeles International Airport.


“A” marks the arrest location, about 9 miles from Los Angeles International Airport

LaserPointerSafety.com initially reported this as a “sting” operation, based on an NBC LA report that “the LAPD ran a high-flying sting to pinpoint the location of their two attackers.” However, other news sources indicated that there was no pre-planned effort to draw out laser users. DailyBreeze.com quoted a police spokesman as saying that “a police helicopter on regular patrol was hit with a green laser, and the crew was able to pinpoint the general location of the beam.... A second flight crew that was replacing the first unit brought protective glasses with them based on the earlier reports. The second crew was soon hit with the same green laser, and reported to police on the ground the exact location of the laser.”

The LAPD is contacting the FBI. Additional state and federal charges may be filed.

From DailyBreeze.com, NBC Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Times and KABC 7.

UPDATE July 28 2011: NoIR informs us that the glasses used were their “GlareShield” models. These were developed with input from LAPD pilots. More on laser protective eyewear for pilots is here.

UPDATE July 26 2012: Floyd Atkins was found guilty of one felony count of pointing laser beams at a helicopter. He will be sentenced August 3 and faces up to three years in prison. Alvaro Jimenez pleaded no contest to the same charge earlier in 2012. From MyNews3.

UPDATE November 1 2012: Floyd Atkins was sentenced on Nov. 1 to one year in county jail and two years probation. He also had to pay $200 in fines and fees. According to the deputy district attorney, Atkins “still doesn’t accept responsibility.” Alvarado Jimenez was sentenced in September 2012 to 60 days of Caltrans service and three years probation. From the Long Beach Press-Telegram.

Russia: Some Rostov-on-Don laser attacks due to insurgents? (UPDATE: Maybe not...)

In five June incidents, pilots were temporarily blinded in the city of Rostov-on-Don. Incidents occurred on approach to the Rostov-on-Don airport on June 3, June 7 and twice within an hour on June 23. In addition, the pilot of a police helicopter was blinded in mid-June. German news agency DPA reported that “insurgents in the Caucasus region were responsible” for these laser attacks.Click to read more...

US: Texas man arrested after aiming at FBI pilot

On June 2 2011, a Southwest Airlines pilot landing at Dallas’s Love Field reported a laser being aimed at the jet. Air traffic controllers warned other pilots. An FBI agent already airborne responded and began searching for the source. The man on the ground aimed his laser pointer at the FBI pilot, who then identified the location and notified ground units.

A 45-year-old Garland man, Sammy Ladymon, was arrested and charged with “illumination of aircraft with intense light”, a Texas state misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of 1 year.


Sammy Ladymon


Ladymon’s house (A) is about 14 miles in a straight line from Love Field (B)

The arrest came one day after the Federal Aviation Administration announced it would impose a civil penalty of up to $11,000 on persons lasing an aircraft. There was no immediate word as to whether Ladymon would face the FAA fine or other federal charges as well.

Click to read more...

US: Jurors find spotlight misuser guilty on one charge, not guilty on another

Jurors deliberated for a day in a case where a man aimed a spotlight at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter on September 22 2010. The pilots, who were wearing night-vision goggles, were temporarily blinded by the spotlight. The co-pilot had to remove his goggles and direct the pilot, who was not able to remove his goggles while still piloting the aircraft.

On April 28 2011 the jury found Wayne P. Groen, 42, guilty of incapacitation of an individual during authorized operation of an aircraft. The jury found him not guilty of interfering with the authorized operation of an aircraft. Sentencing was set for August 4 2011.

Groen lives near Lynden, Washington about 1/2 mile south of the U.S.-Canada border. According to the Seattle Times, Groen said he aimed the spotlight at the Border Protection helicopter because he was “curious” about their activities, bothered by the noise, and “wanted to alert the pilots as to how close they were to his home.”


Groen lives on H Street Road, which parallels the U.S.-Canada border

The Bellingham Herald reports that some of Groen’s neighbors have been annoyed by Border Protection activities, such as frequent low-level helicopter flights and vehicles traveling through their yards and fields. They “have been tempted” to spotlight helicopters, and felt that threat of a long prison term (up to 40 years) for Groen was excessive. One man quoted by the paper said he was in an old barn at night when a helicopter hovered overhead and the metal roof began to rattle and shake: “Had I had a good flashlight I would have shined it up at that black object to see what it was.”

From the Seattle Times and the Bellingham Herald. An account of the opening day of the trial, entitled “Light v. helicopter -- who felt threatened most?” can be read after registering at the Lynden Tribune; a cached version is available at Google.

UPDATE August 4 2011: Wayne Groen was sentenced to two months in prison, 90 days of home detention, 120 hours of community service, three years of community supervision, and a $5,000 fine for incapacitating an individual during the authorized operation of an aircraft. Groen could have received up to 20 years in prison. The prosecution recommended 10 months; the defense wanted no prison time, one year of probation, 120 hours of community service and a $5,000 fine. From The News Tribune

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)

US: Army helicopter crew illuminated over Pa., perpetrator sought

Information is being sought in a laser strike that happened at 8:44 pm on Tuesday, March 22 2011. A crew member of an Army AH-64A Apache helicopter was illuminated “directly in the eyes” at an altitude of about 1500 feet while over the small borough of Myerstown, Pennsylvania (pop. 3,171). The beam came from near the intersection of Routes 622 and 645, according to state police.


The perpetrator could be charged with reckless endangerment. Anyone with information is asked to call the state police at 717-865-2194.

There was no word as to whether the crew member claimed an injury, or had a non-injurious light exposure.

From WHTM. Note that the online story stated Route “465” at the time we viewed it, but police confirmed this is a typo; the road is Route 645.

US: Three boys charged with felony near Nashville

Two 15-year-olds and a 16-year-old were charged with felony endangerment after aiming a laser at a medical helicopter and three commercial aircraft near Nashville International Airport, late in the evening of March 17 2011. The location of the youths was identified via GPS. Although no one answered the door when police knocked, the father of one of the teenagers later called police, which led to the arrests.

The map shows the general area of the arrest:



From
WBIR

US: 2 arrested at Midway for plane & helicopter illumination

Two adults have been arrested after a laser was aimed at a commercial plane near Midway Airport in Chicago. A police helicopter sent to investigate was also illuminated. The incident happened at about 8:30 pm local time on Thursday, March 17 2011.

The arrest site is about 5 miles east of Midway Airport:



From the Chicago Tribune. Thanks to Joanna Skubish for bringing this to our attention.

UPDATE, MARCH 19 2011: The aircraft was a Southwest Airlines flight from San Francisco, with 137 passengers and a crew of five, that was landing at Midway. Police arrested Shania Smith, 21, and Elvin Slater, 23. Smith had just met Slater for the first time earlier that day. Smith said “I don’t know how it got in my car”, and that the first time she saw it was during the arrest, according to the Chicago Tribune. Slater’s uncle said He's a good kid. He just didn't know what he was doing.” Both Smith and Slater were charged with “discharging a laser pointer at a police officer and discharging a laser at an aircraft”, which are misdemeanors.


Google Street View of the intersection where the arrest took place,
looking west towards Midway Airport

From an updated Chicago Tribune article

UPDATE, APRIL 1 2011: Smith pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count and received a 30-day jail sentence, 18 months probation, and one month in a sheriff’s work program. More information is here.

US: $5000 reward offered in Maryland airplane illumination

A $5000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the person(s) who aimed a laser into the cockpit of a Southwest Airlines flight approaching Baltimore-Washington International Airport. The flight, which originated in Milwaukee, was 2000 feet over the town of Millersville, near Old Mill Road and Kenora Drive, when it was illuminated around 6:45 pm on Sunday, Feb. 20, 2011. Millersville is about 8 miles from BWI Airport.



According to the FBI, the eyes of both pilots were injured. The pilots “took their eyes off of the instruments during final approach, but the aircraft landed safely.”

The reward money is coming from both the FBI and Maryland Transportation Authority Police. Anyone with information is urged to contact the FBI at 410-265-8080 or the Maryland Transportation Authority Police at 410-859-7041.

From the
Baltimore Sun and HometownAnnapolis.com. Thanks to Dan Hewett, FDA/CDRH for bringing this to our attention.

US: Dallas spotlight illuminates jet on final approach

A Southwest Airlines jet on final approach reported a “laser strike” after being hit by a bright non-laser spotlight August 29 2010. The Bombshells strip club (red “A” on the map below) had a “spinning search light” on its roof, located about 2 miles from Dallas Love Field. The jet was hit at an altitude of 1000 feet.

The club said the light was “installed at an angle” which they were told would not be a problem for aircraft. An FAA official said that incidents like this had the potential to cause a problem such as the co-pilot having to complete a landing.




Location of the spotlight on the Bombshells roof. Video still from KDFW Fox 4.


Location of Bombshells, relative to the Dallas Love Field approach. Arrow points to a passing jet. Video still from KDFW Fox 4.


From KDFW Fox 4, Dallas-Fort Worth. Feb. 2011 note: The club may have changed its name since the incident, to “Dallas Cabaret”.

US: 14-year-old arrested in LAX incident; did not think laser could reach aircraft

A 14-year-old boy was arrested Feb. 8 2011 for “shining a laser light into the eyes of a pilot” landing at Los Angeles International Airport. The illumination occurred when the plane was about 2,000 feet above the ground. The pilot was not injured, according to an FAA spokesman.

A police helicopter was sent to investigate. NBC Los Angeles reported that the boy also aimed at the police helicopter. He was arrested in his backyard, while holding the laser. According to the Daily Mail, the boy thought that “the light would not go up to the height of the aircraft.”

The map below shows the area of the arrest (“A” on the map) in relation to the airport which is about 8 miles to the southwest.



NBCLA’s news helicopter, which was covering the arrest, was targeted by a second laser for about three seconds. (It is unclear whether this beam actually hit the helicopter. The photo below shows the view from NBCLA’s helicopter.) The second beam came from an area about one block away. Police searched the area but so far, no arrest has been made.



From
CNN, NBCLA, and the Daily Mail. Note: The Huffington Post, citing CNN, reported that the 14-year-old was a girl, but other press reports said the suspect was a boy.