Laser targets Airlines in Nashville

Fox17News -Nashville (article not posted yet) ^ | Self | Self

[Blood of Tyrants]

Just reported: An airline on approach to the Nashville airport has had it's cockpit targeted by a green laser. The plane was about 6 miles out and at 3000 feet when the incident occurred. The plane landed safely and no one was injured.

This makes SEVERAL reports of green lasers being targeted at commercial airlines in the past several days. Something really weird is going on and it is a concerted effort by several individual groups acting in concert or one very mobile unit.

[PistolPaknMama]

widespread suggestibility, especially given that the only evidence is the aircrews' recollections

You mean lots of recollections from competent air crews that have been highly trained? I sure wouldn't call that widespread suggetibility.

[TomGuy]

Except that green lasers are not typical off-the-shelf, are they?

Also, at least once incident reported that the plane was actually tracked over a period of seconds. That doesn't sound like a kid in the back yard with a laser toy and not an easy task to accomplish with a toy laser.

[Rokke]

I doubt the planes are 2 miles away. This latest one was at 3000 feet.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Yes, they are. I just googled it.

[ReadyNow]

Oh, it's probably just light from all those sparks in the fuel tanks. (You know -- the ones that did in TWA 800.)

[PFC]

Hey Dude, they say that the light of a laser can like be seen inside a plan.

No Way

Way

Prove it

[OneTimeLurker]

"Hardly. 6 miles out and 3000 feet is not the kind of laser you could pick up just anywhere."

The 6 miles out part doesn't matter as the source of the laser likely wasn't 6 miles out. 3000 feet is the operative stat.

When I was a Freshman in college a friend built a laser. We used to point it out his window at people walking blocks away, etc. We even found it visible on a building at least a quarter mile away. Today, building such a laser or buying one can't be too hard considering you can buy laser pointers, etc.

[rdl6989]

This link goes to a site that says:
"Can be used for skypointing, projection on low clouds, signalling, detecting explosives."


http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/lights/5a47/

[PistolPaknMama]

These lasers are as common as your local office supply store.

6 miles out and 3000 feet doesn't compare to your laser you purchased at an office supply store.

[rdl6989]

Oops, sorry, this place sells green lasers for $99.00.

[steve86]

Are you at an extended New Year's Eve party?

[WildTurkey]

Hardly. 6 miles out and 3000 feet is not the kind of laser you could pick up just anywhere.

It was "6 miles out" from the airport, NOT from the laser.

[American_Centurion]

3000 feet is the operative stat.

How does one shine a laser into the cockpit from beneath it? The windows are in front and kind of on top. Ergo, 3000 feet don't mean crap other than the laser was much more than 3000 feet away.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

I only said "could". There could be something going on, but don't discount the likelihood or at least possibility of suggestibility.

In fact these incidents are so rare as to be completely attributable to suggestibility.

If 0.01% (One in 10,000) aircrews report something, it seems like a lot in the media megaphone. A lot of aircrews reported seeing "UFOs" in the 50's and 60's. These things come in spurts.

[PistolPaknMama]

The 6 miles out part doesn't matter as the source of the laser likely wasn't 6 miles out. 3000 feet is the operative stat

Obviously you have some inside information that tells you the 3k feet is the operative stat and not the 6 miles out? How do you know that?

Besides, if your friend built a laser that could be visible at a quarter mile, that's only about 1300 feet, not 3000.

[ProudVet77]

I was thinking about the plane the other day that was at 8500 feet. The angle required to get it in the cockpit would have placed the would have placed the laser atleast 2 miles out. To get through all the airpollution around most airports and be visible in the cockpit it would amaze me if it were a hand pointer. Even so, I hope the guy pointing it didn't drink a lot of coffee. :)

[hoot33]

Green lasers are very common in various kid's games, levels,
et al. Likely dangerous, childish pranks methinks, tho the
chance of scouting out targeting for shoulder fired missles should be considered too.

[zipcode101]

This is TERRORISM! It is concerted TERRORISM. This has occurred in 5 cities in 7 days. The good news is that the lasers don't work!! YET! but there is no doubt in the mind of anyone with a brain that these are terrorists, pure and simple.

[PistolPaknMama]

Understood. Thanks.

[steve86]

100-160 mW lasers are running for under a grand on eBay.

The 5 mW laser pointers are not going to injure anyone's eyes in an aircraft, although they can make pretty streaks in the sky for a few hundred yards.

I would expect that anyone seriously trying to interfere with the operations of an aircraft would use a laser in the several watt range, and it probably would be an infrared laser.

I am still skeptical of the "tracking" and "lock-on" claims; if this is true it is essentially advanced military technology.

Without automated tracking, a person with a tripod and a telescopic site could manage a few swipes but not continuous tracking. That is, unless the aircraft is on a long final and the attacker is located not far from the end of the runway. In that case, a few seconds or tens of seconds would be easy.