Community Corner

Laser Ban May Prevent Asiana-Like Plane Crashes

A 2011 laser incident injured pilots landing a flight at BWI in 2011.

By Whitney Teal

Pointing lasers at aircrafts has always been bad form, but soon it will be illegal, under a new state law.

Introduced by Del. Sam Arora (D-Dist. 19) of Silver Spring and Sen. J. B. Jennings (R-Dist. 7) of Joppa, the new law makes it a misdemeanor to point a laser at any aircraft. It goes into effect Oct. 1.

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“Many people don’t realize that even small laser pointers can be powerful enough to blind pilots,” said Arora in a statement.

Reports surfaced this week that a pilot of Asiana Flight 214 was blinded by a temporary light before the plane crashed. Two 16-year-old girls were killed in the July 6 incident.

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Sponsors of the legislation pointed to similar recent incidents in Maryland of pilots being temporarily blinded by lasers pointed at their eyes, including a 2011 incident in which two Southwest Airlines pilots sustained eye injuries after a green laser was pointed at them while trying to land at Baltimore-Washington International Marshall Airport. A Maryland State Police helicopter was the target of a laser in a September 2010 incident, The Gazette reported.

In the light flashed before the crash and may have been the sun reflecting off the San Francisco Bay. The newspaper reported that the pilots had not discussed the light during interviews nor on the recorded cockpit conversation.

Maryland’s law will fine laser offenders up to $2,500 and carry up to three years in prison.


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