Heathrow planes targeted with lasers
23.10.11
The number of planes flying to and from Heathrow that have had lasers shone at them has nearly trebled, according to figures from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The incidents include a flight targeted over the Upper Lambourn area in Berkshire last Wednesday.
Jonathan Nicholson, from the CAA, told the BBC that in 2010 there were 86 incidents, up from 29 in 2009. He said shining laser beams at aircraft was ‘endangering people's lives’, adding: ‘If you shine a very bright laser into the cockpit you are destroying that person's night vision for a couple of seconds. That could be vital, especially in bad weather or if the plane has a problem.’
The lasers are used for legitimate reasons by scientists and astronomers, and can be bought on the internet. Mr Nicholason said: ‘It is a world-wide scenario that these incidents have risen dramatically. We think we've seen a doubling throughout the UK this year.’
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