A recent laser strike on an air ambulance is just one of an increasing number of these mindless attacks.
A laser strike on an Otago air ambulance pilot last week has brought into focus once more, the danger posed by lasers.
HeliOtago managing director Graeme Gale told the Otago Daily Times that the attack on one of his pilots could have been “catastrophic”.
“This could potentially kill. You’re actually flying an aircraft and you can’t pull over on the side of the road. This is serious on every level, and stupid on every level.”
Between 01 January 2024 and 30 September 2024, there were 261 reported laser strikes on aircraft in New Zealand airspace. That’s about one a day.
In 2017, there were 161 occurrences for the entire year – at the time, a record year of attacks.
As advised by Vector Online in that year, there’s not a lot you can do to prevent laser strikes, there’s a bit you can do to mitigate their effects, but the most important thing is to report them.
Immediate effects
A high powered laser beam hitting your eyes can feel like you’ve been punched in the eyes, says CAA Chief Medical Officer Tim Sprott.
“There are three commonly reported visual effects associated with laser exposures,” he says.
“Direct eye exposure to a laser beam can result in momentary flash ‘blindness’, where visual interference persists after the laser beam is removed.
“There can be ‘after-images’ left in the visual field after the light is moved away, like you experience with oncoming headlights when driving. These all affect your visual performance.
“These after-effects are particularly debilitating when your eyes are adapted to the low-light levels in a cockpit at night.”
Tim says recovery from these effects is typically only seconds to minutes, because the exposure to the laser beam is usually brief.
“But sometimes it can take a couple of days for the after-effects – as well as blurred vision and eye pain – to totally pass. Pilots have thought that their flying days may be over.”
Fortunately, the odds of permanent eye damage are, according to the US National Business Aviation Association, practically non-existent. The FAA has also noted that long-term eye injury is rare.
But, as CAA Chief Advisor of Human Factors, Alaska White, says it’s obvious that being attacked by a laser beam is a huge distraction.
“Losing situational awareness is also a risk, which is clearly problematic during critical phases of flight, such as approach, when mental workload is high.”
As with anything startling, it can be disruptive to the pilots’ decision-making. It can completely disorient them, or even temporarily incapacitate them.
So, what can you do?
Currently, advice to pilots mostly surrounds what to do during, or in the aftermath of, a laser strike.
A former British Airways captain, Pete Wilson, had been lasered on 30 occasions by the time he spoke to Vector Online in 2017.
He offered the following advice to New Zealand pilots.
“Try not to look at the light. It’s a natural reaction to want to do so, and you want to be able to identify where the laser beam is coming from. But to limit the effects, try to make your automatic reaction to glance away.
“Don’t rub your eyes, although that’s another natural response. It can cause further irritation or injury.
“Turning up the cockpit lighting may help get over the laser’s effects.
“Report the strike immediately to air traffic control. Other aircraft need to know what they may be up against, and the police will get an opportunity to chase it up.
“Finally,” Pete said, “take the time to formally report it after you land. There’s a temptation not to bother because you’ve had a long day, and now you have to do the paperwork.
“But reporting will help the CAA analysts identify if there are peaks of laser strikes in certain places, or at times of the day or year.
“That at least will help other pilots to be prepared.”
Civil Aviation Rules 12.55 and 12.57 actually mandate the reporting of a laser strike to the CAA, because it’s “an immediate hazard to the safety of an aircraft operation”.
It will also help the CAA work with other agencies, such as the police, to develop some solutions.
At aviation.govt.nz, you can complete the CAA800 form Laser Beam Exposure Questionnaire [PDF 24 KB], which is fairly simple and quick to fill out, being mainly a checklist. Or you can fill out the ‘Report a concern’(external link) online form on the home page.
Read Advisory Circular AC91-17 Light hazards to aircraft to learn more about how to mitigate the effects of laser strikes.
The consequences
Under the Summary Offences Act 1981, just possessing a high power (an output of more than one milliwatt) laser in public, without a reasonable excuse, can land someone in jail for up to three months or with a fine of up to $2000.
In this most recent incident, the HeliOtago pilot recovered sufficiently to track the alleged laser attacker and called the police, who, according to the ODT, arrested a 39-year old man, charging him with endangering transport.