robert_windsor
04.01.05, 22:02
Airline and GA Laser Incidents Being Investigated
The cockpit crew of a Mesa Air Group Bombardier CRJ reported that a
green laser light passed into their cockpit on Sunday evening during
climbout from Nashville International Airport. The incident happened as the
regional jet, flying in United Express livery to Chicago O’Hare Airport, had
reached about 3,600 feet. The pilots suffered no physical harm and the
flight arrived on time at its scheduled destination, but as of today the FBI
continued to search for the source in hopes of filing criminal charges. The
incident happened just a week after the crew of a SkyWest CRJ reported
that a pair of laser beams penetrated their cockpit while descending into
Medford, Ore., on a Christmas night flight from San Francisco. Authorities
are also investigating several other incidents of laser beam intrusions into
cockpits, including a police helicopter investigating an earlier laser
incident
in which a Citation near Teterboro, N.J., was hit Friday evening by a beam
coming from a neighborhood in Parsippany, N.J. The FBI said today that
David Banach of Parsippany admitted to shining the beam at both the
helicopter and jet, though no malicious intent was found. Investigators
suspect the other incidents in question could also amount to dangerous
pranks. A bulletin issued last month by the FBI and Department of
Homeland Security warned police agencies nationwide that terrorist
groups have shown an interest in using laser beams to bring down
airplanes.
