Fine for Liverpool Airport laser teen
03.02.10
A 16-year-old boy has been fined after admitting pointing a laser beam into the cockpit of a plane carrying 180 people as it came in to land at Liverpool Airport. The teenager shone a laser pen, bought on eBay for £8, at an easyJet Belfast flight landing in November last year. He then did the same thing to the police helicopter sent to find him.
Shirley Campbell, prosecuting, told Liverpool Youth Court how the captain had already switched off the autopilot as he approached the runway when he noticed the green beam, which can blind a person, ‘bouncing around’ his cockpit.
She said: ‘They were rapidly approaching the runway when the pilot observed the green laser shining through the window. It was very intense and remained in the cockpit for five to ten seconds forcing him to look down into the footwell. This was a dangerous situation and a critical stage in the flight.’
Minutes later the pilot of the police helicopter identified the house that the beam was coming from and was also hit by the laser before police officers on the ground arrested the youth, who admitted two charges of recklessly endangering an aircraft. He was fined £250 plus a £15 victim surcharge.
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