Laser shone at plane cockpit flying at 29,000 feet, police investigate
A laser was shone into the cockpit of a passenger plane which was flying at 29,000ft (8,840m). Humberside police have confirmed the incident happened on Saturday as the plane flew over North East Lincolnshire.
The Scandinavian commercial flight from Manchester to Bilund, Denmark, was hit by the laser at 18:45 GMT on Sunday.
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A spokesman for the force stated that the “captain of the flight reported to National Air Traffic Services (NATS) that he was over the Ottringham Beacon and had the cockpit illuminated by a laser coming from a coastal town to the starboard (right) side of aircraft.
“The NATS team have assessed the flight's path and location and have assessed that it came from the Grimsby area.”
No-ill effects were recorded other than the pilots being “dazzled," the spokesperson added.
Police stated that the “very serious incident” could lead to a jail sentence of up to five years, under the Laser Misuse (Vehicles) Act. They have appealed for information.
The incident comes as threats to flights are on the increase. Earlier in October, a high-flying drone missed a Virgin Atlantic jet by ten feet (3 metres), in what is thought to be the closest ever near miss between the gadget and an airliner.
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Under laws brought in earlier this year, drones are only allowed to fly below 400ft (122m), they are also required to avoid flight paths and be within sight of their operators at all times.
There were more than 50 reports from airline pilots of near-misses with drones in 2016, according to a report by the Ministry of Defence and Military Aviation Authority.
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