Flight fears: Plane pilots say concerns over aircraft laser strikes going unheard
23 Apr, 2021 02:04 AM
4 minutes to read
Pilots concerns are growing about laser strike and drone incidents. Photo / Tania Whyte
Pilots grave concerns about aircraft laser strikes are going unheard by the relevant authorities as incidents mount.
That s according to New Zealand Air Line Pilots Association spokesperson Captain Tim Robinson who says his demands to ban high-powered lasers have been falling on deaf ears . I don t want to put words in their mouth but they obviously doesn t think the risk is great enough and we certainly do, Robinson said. We would hate to see a fatal accident, especially from a medium to large-size commercial airliner, because these lasers continue to illuminate aircraft.
The pilot alerted Air Traffic Control and the plane landed without incident about 8.20pm. The Civil Aviation Authority have been approached by
Stuff for comment. Offenders face up to three months in prison or a fine up to $2000 if convicted of possession of a high-powered laser or up to 14 years in jail if convicted under the Crimes Act for endangering transport. In 2016, then New Zealand Air Line Pilots Association president Tim Robinson said the laser beams could completely blind pilots at critical stages of flying.
Supplied
A laser being pointed at a plane could be incredibly disorienting for a pilot, Robinson said. (File photo)
Air New Zealand Flight Targeted With A Laser On Approach
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An Air New Zealand flight from Auckland to Whangarei suffered a laser attack during the final approach. The incident occurred on Friday night while the aircraft was at 3,500ft and preparing for landing. The aircraft landed safely a few minutes later and the police are trying to find the culprit.
The incident occurred on a de Havilland Canada Dash 8 during the short journey on the North Island. Photo: Aero Icarus via Flickr
Lasers
According to Stuff, the laser incident was reported on Air New Zealand flight NZ8226 on Friday, 16th April. The 30-minute journey was flown by a turboprop de Havilland Canada Dash 8 (registration ZK-NEO). However, things didn’t go to plan on the flight this Friday.
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