This story is from November 17, 2017

Laser menace for pilots over Mumbai airport on the rise

Laser menace for pilots over Mumbai airport on the rise
Mumbai: Laser beam hazard has been on rise at Mumbai airport with pilots reporting a total of 24 cases till September this year, or about 3 cases per month. Laser beams that hit the cockpit could pose a serious flight safety hazard as it could temporarily blind the pilot during the low flying critical phases of landing or takeoff. Instances of pilots being lased are on rise the world over, which has led to introduction of new laws to check this menace in countries like the US, the UK, Australia.
“Pilots who spot a laser beam near or pointed at the aircraft inform the air traffic controller, who, in turn, informs airport officials, who then inform local police,’’ said an airport official.
Since India has not yet woken up to the dangers that lasers pose to aircraft —there is no gazette notification that identifies this as serious hazard and recommends punitive measures—the action taken on ground has hardly been a deterrent, the official added.
In recent years, the use of laser lights during festivals has gone up, he said. For instance, there have been complaints of laser activity from weddings/celebrations venue in Ghatkopar, which is close to the approach path of aircraft. “There isn’t much awareness about the dangers of shining laser lights on aircraft,’’ the airport official adding that India needs to have better laws place like some other countries where such an act could invite a jail term.
Globally, the dangers that laser beams pose to aircraft have been well-documented with the International Civil Aviation Organization releasing an 84 page document (Document 9815 “Manual on Laser Emitters and Flight Safety”) on the subject way back in 2003. Globally, one of the worst cases of attacks took place in the US in January-February 2009 when 148 laser attacks on aircraft were reported. On February 22 itself, a dozen landing aircraft were targeted with green laser beams at the Seattle Tacoma airport.
In the past decade, almost all major pilots’ unions in the world have been working towards checking this hazard. The International Federation of Air Line Pilots Association (IFALPA), an umbrella body of pilots’ union, in its note on laser illumination effect on aircraft says it could lead to temporary vision loss. “It can be associated with glare, flash blindness, blind spots, or after-images.”
The British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) in its note on lasers says a laser attack will inevitably startle and dazzle the pilots and may result in significant pilot distraction. “At the same time pilots are concerned about the increasing power of laser beams and the potential they have to cause a serious crash or damage pilots eyes,’’ said the BALPA note.
A survey carried out by BALPA among its pilot members in 2015, revealed that 55 % of them had experienced a laser attack in the previous 12 months. “People need to understand that lasers are not toys. They can cause serious distraction and pointing them at an aircraft could cause a crash,’’ said the BALPA note.
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