Toronto Star

Laser strike hits plane, blurs vision of a pilot

- BRUCE CAMPION-SMITH OTTAWA BUREAU CHIEF

OTTAWA— The pilot of an Air Canada jet was left with blurred vision when someone aimed a laser at the aircraft during its approach to Pearson Internatio­nal Airport.

The incident — one of a spate of laser strikes last month involving flights into Pearson — is yet another reminder of the dangers of these devices, federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau told the Star.

The Air Canada Rouge Airbus A319 with 113 passengers onboard was lined up for landing following a flight from Panama City when it was struck by a green laser.

The first officer was looking at a tablet mounted by the side cockpit window when the aircraft was hit a second time by the laser.

“The first officer experience­d a direct hit in the eyes by the laser and experience­d blurred vision and discomfort lasting for 10-15 minutes,” a preliminar­y Transport Canada report said.

The captain continued the approach to a safe landing. A report was filed with Peel Regional Police.

It’s not known if the pilot suffered lasting injuries. Air Canada did not respond to requests for informatio­n about the incident.

Several other aircraft also reported laser strikes at the same point in their approach to runways 23 and 24 Right that night and the next night, according to the Transport Canada report. The laser was reported to be coming from individual­s in a park near Albion Rd. and Islington Ave.

A spokespers­on for Toronto police said they responded to two calls about lasers and aircraft last month and while officers did investigat­e, no arrests were made.

While the number of laser strikes is starting to drop, Garneau said it is “still far too high.”

“We still have work to do to sensitize people to the fact that pointing a laser at the cockpit of an aircraft, particular­ly when the pilot is focused on coming in to land or taking off, can be catastroph­ic,” Garneau said.

“People need to realize how serious an offence this is,” he said.

The small, hand-held lasers have become a big safety concern for pilots. The concentrat­ed beam of light can cause temporary blindness and even permanent eye damage.

Since mid-November, there have been 23 laser strikes on commercial jets in the Toronto-area, happening often as the aircraft are just 400 metres above the ground during the descent for landing.

There were almost 600 laser strikes reported to Transport Canada in 2016 and 2015, up from 502 incidents in 2014. So far this year, Transport Canada has logged about 381 laser strikes nationwide.

Garneau earlier this year launched an awareness campaign to highlight the dangers of pointing lasers at aircraft.

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