It looks like you're using an Ad Blocker.
Please white-list or disable AboveTopSecret.com in your ad-blocking tool.
Thank you.
Some features of ATS will be disabled while you continue to use an ad-blocker.
(visit the link for the full news article)
The pilot of a passenger jet was blinded by a laser device as the aircraft came in to land at Durham Tees Valley Airport, police said.
The KLM jet, with 40 people onboard, landed safely after the co-pilot took the controls on Sunday night.
A Cleveland Police helicopter was also targeted as it searched an area around the airport near Darlington.
A police spokesman said a 19-year-old man had been arrested and charged with two counts of endangering an aircraft.
1984 October 10 - Terra-3 illuminates US shuttle. -
After the American decision was taken into 1983 to initiate the 'Star Wars' strategic defence initiative program, Minister of Defence Ustinov requested that the Americans be challenged. As a 'warning shot' the Terra-3 complex was used to track the space shuttle Challenger with a low power laser. This caused malfunctions to on-board equipment and temporary blinding of the crew, leading to a US diplomatic protest.
Originally posted by burdman30ott6
reply to post by billyjoinedat2k8
If a 19 year old is too young to know that shining a high powered laser beam into the cockpit of a flying plane could cause a crash and deaths of anyone on board, then he clearly is too young to drive, vote, or even cross the street without an adult holding his hand.
Hell yes he should go to jail for this. It is no different than if he'd gone up on an overpass and shone a floodlight into the eyes of any oncoming cars.
Originally posted by badBERTHA
Whilst I hope that this guy gets made an example of (I'm sure the fact that he's 19 wouldn't be an excuse if he'd caused the deaths of those people) but what has impressed me is how quickly the police have picked him up!
I wonder if there were witnesses or if he'd bought his laser doodah with a credit card?
Or maybe even one of the many wonderful cctv cameras caught him? Either way that's pretty fast work
Originally posted by billyjoinedat2k8
reply to post by dodgygeeza
ok well thats fair enough then if he did it twice he clearly never learnt his lesson but people are saying he should be charged with attempted murder and thats just plaine wrong but yes he should be punished
Originally posted by billyjoinedat2k8
Listen people make mistakes and ye i agree he should probably go to prison if hes got a record but if this is the first time hes got in trouble before he should get a warning or something you cant just throw him in prison just like that hes still just a kid.