Tuesday, May 14, 2024
ADVT 
National

Westjet Pilot Injured By Green Laser Light While Approaching Orlando Airport

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 22 May, 2019 07:21 PM

    A WestJet pilot flying from Newfoundland to Orlando International Airport had his eyes burned by a green laser light, U.S. Federal Aviation Administration officials said Wednesday.


    Spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said in an email that the WestJet Airlines aircraft was about 40 kilometres from the airport when the laser light hit the pilot. The flight landed safely a short time later, and the pilot was placed on medical leave, which is routine in such cases.


    The airline said in a statement that the incident took place Saturday but gave few details, citing privacy concerns.


    "Any pilot who reports being struck by a laser is required for safety and health reasons to have an ophthalmology evaluation," spokeswoman Morgan Bell said in an email.


    Bell said laser incidents pose a "serious concern" for crew and aircraft safety and are immediately reported to local authorities for investigation.


    "Pilots are extremely focused during all phases of flight, but especially during take-off and landing, when most laser incidents occur," she said.


    "When any sort of light enters the flight deck, pilots are trained to look away and maintain focus but they must also remain vigilant with respect to their surroundings and monitor the apron prior to landing."


    The FAA is investigating the incident. The agency said it had notified the Volusia County Sheriff's Office, which sent a deputy to a central Florida address pinpointed as a possible source of the light.


    The sheriff's office said no one at the location had any knowledge of the incident and said they don't have a laser pointer.


    Last year, the Canadian government announced strict new measures to ban most high-powered lasers around airports and in the country's three largest cities due to the dangers they pose when aimed at aircraft.


    The interim measures bar anyone from possessing a battery-operated hand-held laser over one milliwatts outside a private residence without a legitimate purpose, such as for work or education.


    The rules apply to municipalities in the greater Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver areas, as well as within 10 kilometres of any Canadian airport or heliport.


    Penalties for those convicted of deliberately targeting aircraft include fines of up to $100,000, five years in prison, or both, though the government has acknowledged that prosecutions are rare given the difficulty of catching people in the act.


    However, the new rules also allow investigators to hand out fines of up to $5,000 for anyone caught with a hand-held laser in a prohibited zone without a reason. Corporations can face up to $25,000.


    Transport Canada reported 379 incidents of lasers pointed at planes in 2017, most of which occurred in Ontario and Quebec.

     

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Major Slides Rip Away North Face Of Joffre Peak Near Pemberton, B.C.

    Major Slides Rip Away North Face Of Joffre Peak Near Pemberton, B.C.
    Earthquake seismologist John Cassidy says the latest slide happened at 9:03 a.m. on Thursday.

    Major Slides Rip Away North Face Of Joffre Peak Near Pemberton, B.C.

    Police Release Video In Austin Grewal Fatal Shooting In Surrey

    The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) is requesting public assistance to further its ongoing investigation into the shooting death of 18-year-old Austin Grewal.

    Police Release Video In Austin Grewal Fatal Shooting In Surrey

    One Person Dead, Others Injured After Multi-Vehicle Crash On Coquihalla Highway

    One person is dead and several others have been hurt in a multi-vehicle crash on the Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Merritt, B.C.    

    One Person Dead, Others Injured After Multi-Vehicle Crash On Coquihalla Highway

    Quebec Premier Asks MNAs Not To Fund Events Promoting Canada, Sovereignty

    QUEBEC — The Quebec government is telling members of the legislature they cannot use their discretionary budgets to support events that promote federalism or sovereignty.

    Quebec Premier Asks MNAs Not To Fund Events Promoting Canada, Sovereignty

    Cancer-Causing Substance Used To Cut Cocaine Turns Up In Nelson, B.C., Drugs

    NELSON, B.C. — Police in Nelson, B.C., have issued a public safety warning after learning suspected cocaine had been cut with a potentially cancer-causing substance.

    Cancer-Causing Substance Used To Cut Cocaine Turns Up In Nelson, B.C., Drugs

    Quebec Cattle Farmers Want Beyond Meat To Stop Marketing Itself As Plant-Based Meat

    MONTREAL — Cattle producers across the country are backing Quebec colleagues who have filed a complaint over a popular new meatless burger that is being advertised as "plant-based meat."

    Quebec Cattle Farmers Want Beyond Meat To Stop Marketing Itself As Plant-Based Meat