Fine for laser teen
03.02.10
A 16-year-old boy was fined yesterday after admitting shining a laser beam into the cockpit of a plane carrying 180 people as it came in to land at Liverpool Airport. The teenager shone a powerful laser pen, which he had bought on eBay for £8, at an easyJet flight from Belfast in November last year. He then did the same thing to the police helicopter sent to find him.
Shirley Campbell, prosecuting, told Liverpool Youth Court that the captain had already switched off the autopilot as he approached the runway when he saw the green beam, which can blind a person, ‘bouncing around’ his cockpit.
She said: ‘They were rapidly approaching the runway when the pilot saw the green laser shining through the window. It was very intense and remained in the cockpit for 5 - 10 seconds forcing him to look down in to the footwell. This was a dangerous situation and at a critical stage in the flight.’
Minutes later the pilot of the police helicopter identified the house that the beam was coming from and was also hit by the laser before police officers on the ground arrested the youth. He admitted two charges of recklessly endangering an aircraft and was fined £250 plus a £15 victim surcharge.
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