A Colorado State Patrol flight abandoned its landing plans after being struck by a laser last week.
The flight crew was attempting to land at Centennial Airport at about 8:45 p.m. on Aug. 19 when the cockpit was hit by the green laser, according to a news release from Colorado State Patrol. The beam — which can cause glare and flash blindness, as well as permanent eye damage — and led the crew to abort the attempted landing.
Troopers on the aircraft saw the beam came from a nearby apartment complex, according to the release. Troopers went to the unit the beam was coming from and warned the residents of the dangers of shining lasers at aircraft. They also took the laser.
The beams, despite seeming small at the source, can flare out when hitting a cockpit, hurting a pilot’s ability to see and operate the aircraft. Knowingly shining a laser at an occupied aircraft is both a federal crime and a felony under Colorado law.
The Aug. 19 incident was one of several that had happened near that location in prior evenings, according to the news release.
State patrol officials forwarded information about the laser beam targeting to the Federal Aviation Administration, the release stated.
