Emergency chopper targeted by laser

[maundy]

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22504157-1242,00.html

By Andrew Drummond

September 29, 2007 06:07pm

THE lives of four air crew and one critically ill patient were jeopardised by the immature actions of a Sydney resident who targeted their plane with a laser beam, NSW Ambulance said today.

Just before 11pm (AEST) yesterday an air ambulance emergency medical helicopter flying over Marrickville in Sydney's inner-west was targeted by a green laser from the ground.

The chopper was forced to delay its landing at Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred (RPA) Hospital because pilots were distracted by the laser.

“The laser distracted me whilst I was flying and caused me to stop doing a pre-landing check which delayed landing with our patient,” pilot Darryl Humphries said.

The patient on board the chopper was a woman who had undergone brain surgery and was being transferred from Sydney's Nepean Hospital to the RPA at Camperdown.

The delay in landing caused by the laser is not expected to have worsened the woman's condition.

“In this particular instance (the journey) was a medical retrieval (and) she was stable before we left (Nepean hospital),” senior rescue helicopter manager Steve Hughes said.

Mr Hughes has called on offenders to realise the serious consequences of pointing a laser at aircraft, particularly rescue choppers.

“Get a bit of maturity about yourself and think about what you're doing,” was the message he sent to offenders.

“The risk that you pose to the pilot and to the crew, and also to the patients ... not only that but if it resulted in an accident we are flying in over domestic properties all the time.

“I'm not saying that it will result in an accident but it could and we could end up crashing onto suburban areas.”

Mr Hughes said last night's incident was not an isolated event. Two weeks ago a red laser was pointed at a rescue chopper flown by the same pilot as it flew over Sydney.

Both incidents have been reported to Air Traffic Control and are being investigated by police.

“In this instance I'm hoping that the police take some action and maybe identify where they (the lasers) came from,” Mr Hughes said.

Commercial Qantas flights also have been recently targeted with lasers; one as it approached Brisbane airport earlier this month and another as it attempted to land at Darwin airport in August.

Since 2006 there have been more than 170 reports of laser lights being directed at aircraft and the number is increasing with 49 incidents being reported this year between April and June.

There was another one recently with a green laser where the whole cabin was illuminated and they couldn't land or anything right?

If this is really as bad as they say, then what are they going to do if a CT team needs to get in to an area via helo and gets hit with lasers? They might need a new plan.

[gonz_au]

They might need a new plan.


I suggest Hellfires...

[Herrmannek]

Cool... There is CSI Miami episode where a guy with what seemed like a low power green pen laser pointer blinded pilot and downed a plane... I was rather skeptic about that but was curious what actual effect on Pilot lasers have... Anyway when I've read the title I was thinking it was some kind of military rescue chopper with laser detection signal giving a warning rather than a organoleptic sensation. Anyway cool news and its good I never actually tried this among many things I tried to do with laser pointer :)

[lt tahoe]

I seem to recall a similar episode with an airliner recently in Australia...copycat? Maybe someone testing technique for actual use?

Next thing you know, they'll have to coat all aircraft windscreens.

[kamarian]

if i ever find anyone who does that to any sort of aircraft i'll break their fingers. and then hand them over to the police.

[duhblow7]

“The laser distracted me whilst I was flying and caused me to stop doing a pre-landing check which delayed landing with our patient,” pilot Darryl Humphries said.

Oh noes...a green light coming from the ground. Now i can't press the large red buttons!&@

[Invisigoth]

I don't get it. Was someone using his phaser or was this some nerd with his laser pointer? How could you even see that from a helicopter? O.o

[nemowork]

“The laser distracted me whilst I was flying and caused me to stop doing a pre-landing check which delayed landing with our patient,” pilot Darryl Humphries said.

Oh noes...a green light coming from the ground. Now i can't press the large red buttons!&@

So your flying merrily along and a laser 'target indicator' appears on your copilots face are you going to keep your cool?

[onefast93z28]

Couple years back someone shined a laser into a Delta Airlines aircraft on final and hit the F/O in the eyes. The laser damaged them enough that the F/O can't fly anymore...

[coughybean]

Nothing pisses me off faster than someone shining a laser in my eyes. I don't care who it is, even little kids, I will gouge your ****ing eyes out.

I don't find any humor in possibly causing permenent damage to someones vision.

[LRPV]

This is becoming a frequent event with occurences across Australia in the last fortnight. It seems that the 'copy-cat' syndrome is at work. Perhaps a media black-out on this issue might break the cycle?

[gonz_au]

They are not the $2 Taiwan special lasers either, news footage showed what looked like a 100mW + beam (as in powerful enough to light a ciggarette!)

[LRPV]

The ones used in WA have a visible green light and are available from the US for about $200.

[gonz_au]

Wickedlasers.com are a good source p-)

[T3ngu]

Sadly like everything else that is fun, a few idiots will get the rest of us punished by making the lawmakers quickly fix the "problem" by banning lasers.

having said that I dont have any lasers, nor would I consider pointing them at people or planes if I did.

Cheers

[maundy]

Does the laser interfere with the ILS or whatever it is that pilots have super imposed on their screens? Is that what stuffs it up?

This problem needs fixing pronto.

High powered lasers are already banned. Just like rocket launchers and machine guns.

More laws are more retarded.

[kamarian]

“The laser distracted me whilst I was flying and caused me to stop doing a pre-landing check which delayed landing with our patient,” pilot Darryl Humphries said.

Oh noes...a green light coming from the ground. Now i can't press the large red buttons!&@


you obviously have never flown anything, let alone a helicopter.

[kamarian]

Does the laser interfere with the ILS or whatever it is that pilots have super imposed on their screens? Is that what stuffs it up?

This problem needs fixing pronto.

High powered lasers are already banned. Just like rocket launchers and machine guns.

More laws are more retarded.

the lasers tend to stuff up the pilots vision. and now with the EMQ choopers being authorised to fly with NVG's, it can make it real difficult.

[Waltzing_Matilda]

How come they haven't caught em' out yet? Is it really that difficult to pin-point where the laser is coming from?

[maundy]

Not if they remain stationary..... which is highly improbable.

[Asheren]

Lets not forget about all those movies with bad a.. (insert color here) dot laser sights.
I remember reading somewhere story about illegal gunsmith that was converting one of commercialy avaible thing to some sort of poorman laser sight.

[Nizark]

anyone know if it is possible to lower the power level or whatever of the laser pens so they cant go more than say, 20 feet? AND, have them some certain color scheme so law enforcement knows what they are dealing with?

[gonz_au]

anyone know if it is possible to lower the power level or whatever of the laser pens so they cant go more than say, 20 feet? AND, have them some certain color scheme so law enforcement knows what they are dealing with?

[Scottish accent]
You canna break the laws of physics captain!
[/Scottish accent]

[Hauser]

anyone know if it is possible to lower the power level or whatever of the laser pens so they cant go more than say, 20 feet? AND, have them some certain color scheme so law enforcement knows what they are dealing with?

Laser pointers can only be red or green (or blue but they are still damn expensive), and these colours are also used for laser sights on rifles and the like, so there is no other colour to choose from.

[brydog78]

Im suprise they haven't banned laser pointers. It says right on the thing that it will cause bindness if aimed at the eyes and, yet people are pointing them at people and things they shouldn't. Im not against them, but I would like people to be more responsible with them and not act like "fools" with them. If I can remember they said something about banning them near airports and such.

[Warden]

Last Year (?) a Guy in Leuchars was convicted of shining lasers at Tornados landing at the base, said he was fed up with the noise and didn't think it would do any harm, can't find a news link for it though :(

[kitatatsumi]

Forgive me, I'm curious about this.
Aside from the regular issues associated with a laser pointer to the peepers, why is it specifically dangerous for a pilot?
Does it just happen more often with aircraft? Or maybe it causes problems with the instruments? Because of the colors in the cockpit? Or is it just because they are up high and rely on their eyes? Whats the difference?:|


ps
i have never done it

[Hauser]

I don't think there is any more danger in itseld when a laser is shined at a pilot. The danger comes from the fact that the pilot will be distracted by the laser, and being distracted while trying to land a helicopter at night is not exactly an ideal situation.

In the UK, i know it is illegal to shine a laser pointer at an aircraft, or any other moving vehicle, but is it illegal to shine a laser at people walking down the street, just to mess with them? There is a street I walk down quite alot and there is a kid that shines a laser at the floor in front of where I am walking, and wondered if it was illegal or he is just being a dick.

[drakegoodman]

How come they haven't caught em' out yet? Is it really that difficult to pin-point where the laser is coming from?

The problem is the reports generally originate from the aircraft being targeted and police are only given an approximate area to search for the culprits. This can involve areas of up to 50 sq km off-road. Police resources are limited at the best of times, let alone dispatching units to effectively search for the proverbial "needle in a haystack".

Some airports have designated landside "viewing areas", where members of the public (generally plane-spotter type folk) can park their cars under the flight path of landing / taking off aircraft and try to get photos for Airliners.net or pick up radio chatter on their scanners. These areas are also attracting the cretins with the green lasers.

The offence does not lie in the act of using the laser itself (yet) - but the possible consequences that may be reasonably foreseen by using it inappropriately. For example: pointing a laser at someone driving, it is reasonable to assume they may be distracted and run off the road and injure themselves. Appropriate charge - engaging in conduct likely to cause death or serious injury. Words to that effect.

It's an increasing problem.

[Waltzing_Matilda]

Thanks for the break-down dg. I guess I was thinking that given the sinister nature of targeting domestic aircraft and the potential for a major disaster/incident that the ultra sneaky folk at sneaky HQ in Canberra and the AFP would be all over this with surveillance, tracking and whatever.

Mental note: I gotta stop watching those liveleak clips where they zoom in on the bad guys from far away and take them out. That is so far removed from the reality of this situation, but, maybe one day. lol

[drakegoodman]

...ultra sneaky folk at sneaky HQ in Canberra and the AFP would be all over this with surveillance, tracking and whatever.

We're working on the problem, please take a seat.

[velvet-cream]

I think it's a bit late to ban laser pointers. There are so many of them around. "light pro" (aka projector) remote controls have laser pointers built into them. Hell, I've got a couple of laser pointers hanging around my home somewhere.

DVD drives (esp burners) have powerful lasers. There are people who rip them out and make them into laser pointers that can melt plastics etc.

[LillaMy]

Oakley M Frame Laser Lens
http://www.finnrappel.fi/OakleyLase.jpg
Oakley is proud to be working with Natick SOF-Special Projects, US Army Special
Operations Command and Naval Special Warfare Development Group to produce
Laser Eye Protection for Elite Special Forces. This represents the Research and
Development for US soldier Specific systems for advanced gear.

IMPACT PERFORMANCE
Meets or exceeds ANSI Z87.1 requirements for High Velocity and High Mass Impact.

ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCE FEATURES
►M-Frame Lenses implementing this technology fit into existing SI M-Frame and remain
field/user-interchangeable.
►M-Frame Laser Lenses incorporate same durable, scratch resistant hardcore as the
rest of M-Frame line.
►Assault Goggle Laser Lenses incorporate an Anti-Fog coating.
►Assault Goggle Laser Lenses incorporate a low-brow profile fir optimized helmet
compatibility.

[velvet-cream]

Oakley M Frame Laser Lens
http://www.finnrappel.fi/OakleyLase.jpg
Oakley is proud to be working with Natick SOF-Special Projects, US Army Special
Operations Command and Naval Special Warfare Development Group to produce
Laser Eye Protection for Elite Special Forces. This represents the Research and
Development for US soldier Specific systems for advanced gear.

IMPACT PERFORMANCE
Meets or exceeds ANSI Z87.1 requirements for High Velocity and High Mass Impact.

ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCE FEATURES
?M-Frame Lenses implementing this technology fit into existing SI M-Frame and remain
field/user-interchangeable.
?M-Frame Laser Lenses incorporate same durable, scratch resistant hardcore as the
rest of M-Frame line.
?Assault Goggle Laser Lenses incorporate an Anti-Fog coating.
?Assault Goggle Laser Lenses incorporate a low-brow profile fir optimized helmet
compatibility.

Don't think these will be much use against visible laser pointers. As I understand it, these glasses will only filter out certain wavelengths. Specifically those in the IR band that are common to military laser range finders and designators. If you put those glasses on, any colour that you can see with your eyes is transparent to that lens. So if you can see red light through the lens, then a red laser would go straight through it (ie no protection).