The lives of hundreds of vacationers on two airplanes were put at risk when their pilots were dazzled with lasers. The planes were just about to land at airports in the southwest when the beams were shone at them on Friday night. Continue reading after the jump.
First to be targeted was a Thomson Airbus, carrying between 170 and 180 holidaymakers and crew from Corfu. At around 8pm it was on its final descent to Exeter airport, Devon, when an intense light was directed at the plane from the ground.
Devon and Cornwall Police said the light appeared to come from a sports ground about three miles from the airport, in the Whipton area of the city, the other side of the M5 motorway.
Shortly after, at 9.17pm, a Flybe pilot was left ‘shaken’ when a laser was beamed into his aircraft, police said.
The plane was about to land at Newquay Cornwall airport and had 60 passengers on board.
‘The pilot described it as being targeted at the plane for about 30 seconds,’ said Inspector Ian Milligan.
‘Both these incidents have been crime-recorded and we have a crime report because it is an offence to do anything that could recklessly endanger an aircraft.
‘Aiming lasers is potentially very dangerous.
‘We will conduct the investigation and anyone caught shining lasers at planes could find themselves facing substantial punishments in terms of imprisonment.’
Inspector Milligan said there was nothing to suggest the laser attacks were conducted by the same person and could have been coincidence.
A spokesman for the force’s air operations unit, which sent its helicopter to look for the people responsible, said: ‘The shining of laser lights at aircraft is dangerous, can severely distract and dazzle the crew and carries the risk of eye damage.
‘The act this evening was particularly dangerous given the aircraft was on final approach, low to the ground and over the city.’
Stephen Ayres, duty manager at Exeter airport, said: ‘These incidents have been reported over the last few years at Exeter and airports up and down the country.
‘Police take it very seriously.
‘The air traffic controllers reported the incident to the Civil Aviation Authority and the police sent up a force helicopter to investigate.’
