PORT ANGELES — A Coast Guard helicopter landed safely after crew members reported being targeted by a laser from the ground.
The crew of an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from the Port Angeles air station was conducting a training flight over William R. Fairchild International Airport at 10:07 p.m. Monday when a crew member in the rear of the helicopter reported a laser strike from an unknown ground source, said Chief Petty Officer David Mosley, spokesman for the Coast Guard in Seattle.
The orange helicopter made an immediate landing at Coast Guard Air Station/Sector Field Office Port Angeles as required by Coast Guard flight rules, Mosley said.
Being targeted by a laser has taken the entire crew out of flight rotation.
“This type of incident can be very dangerous to our safety and our ability to fly the aircraft,” said Cmdr. Mark Heupel, a pilot and air operations officer at the Ediz Hook air station.
“These incidents not only hinder our ability to perform the mission, they can also lead to potential medical issues with our crew,” Heupel said.
“These incidents are on the rise around the country. The public needs to be aware of the danger their actions may cause to the crew of a rescue helicopter.”
According to the Coast Guard’s “2013 Aviation Safety Annual Report,” there were 44 laser strikes on Coast Guard aircraft that year, resulting in 14 temporary injuries.
It is the first known laser incident involving a Coast Guard aircraft in the Port Angeles area.
Laser pointers are dangerous to air crews as a result of glare, including after-image, flash blindness or temporary loss of night vision, Mosley said.
“If a pilot was blinded, you could be putting their lives at risk,” he said.
Mosley said he was not aware of any immediate indications of crew eye injuries in Monday night’s incident and that the pilot never saw the laser, which appeared to hit the side of the aircraft.
He said that to protect the crew’s health and safety, all members have been taken off flight duty until cleared by a flight surgeon.
“This hampers the Coast Guard’s ability to conduct training and respond to people in distress,” Mosley said.
He said it was not known what type of laser was used or the intention of the person wielding the instrument.
It could have been just about any type of laser, including a laser pointer or rifle target laser, but there are also lasers available to the civilian market that are powerful enough to start a fire, he said.
It is a federal crime to aim a laser pointer at an aircraft. It is considered interfering with the safety of a flight crew.
If an individual is caught purposefully aiming a laser beam at an aircraft, the maximum civil penalty that can be imposed is $11,000 per violation.
Coast Guard investigators are working with the Port Angeles Police Department to determine the source of the laser.
The general area where the laser came from has been identified, Deputy Police Chief Brian Smith said.
“It’s a serious matter when you laser an aircraft,” he said.
The Coast Guard is asking that anyone with information about Monday’s laser incident to phone its investigators at 206-220-7170 or Port Angeles police at 360-452-4545.
Anyone witnessing the use of a laser on an aircraft is asked to phone 9-1-1 promptly to report the incident.
More information about laser safety and the effects of a laser beam on an aircraft is available on the Federal Aviation Administration website at www.tinyurl.com/PDN-lasers.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
