St. Louis (KSDK) - The Joint Terrorism Task Force is searching for the people who pointed lasers at aircraft flying above St. Louis. Authorities say it happened at least three times over the Memorial Day weekend.
The lasers may be a small pinpoint of light when pointed on the ground, but once they hit the glass of a cockpit they can become an explosion of light and temporarily blind the pilot.
The FAA says the most recent incident was Monday and involved a Delta Airlines flight headed for Lambert. The plane was about 12 miles out and around 5,000 feet in the air when the cockpit was hit by green laser.
Another incident happened much closer to the airport on Sunday. St. Louis County police say it was within three miles of Lambert. And U.S. Attorney Richard Callahan says there was a third incident in St. Charles County. So far, nobody has been caught.
A St. Louis County Police helicopter pilot says just about everyone who flies gets hit with a laser pointer at some point. He says it causes instant night blindness and a pilot's first instinct is to turn the aircraft away. But that brings the serious risk of a crash.
It is illegal to point a laser at an aircraft and you could get up to five years in prison if you're caught. A local man was charged with the crime in February.
Watch Video: http://www.ksdk.com
The FAA says the most recent incident was Monday and involved a Delta Airlines flight headed for Lambert. The plane was about 12 miles out and around 5,000 feet in the air when the cockpit was hit by green laser.
Another incident happened much closer to the airport on Sunday. St. Louis County police say it was within three miles of Lambert. And U.S. Attorney Richard Callahan says there was a third incident in St. Charles County. So far, nobody has been caught.
A St. Louis County Police helicopter pilot says just about everyone who flies gets hit with a laser pointer at some point. He says it causes instant night blindness and a pilot's first instinct is to turn the aircraft away. But that brings the serious risk of a crash.
It is illegal to point a laser at an aircraft and you could get up to five years in prison if you're caught. A local man was charged with the crime in February.
Watch Video: http://www.ksdk.com
No comments:
Post a Comment