Oakland International airport spokeswoman said that four aircrafts were targeted with lasers at the airport on Monday night.
Airport spokeswoman Keonnis Taylor elaborated that the “laser strikes” were reported between 8 pm and 10 p.m. and appeared to have originated from the area around 90th Avenue and Interstate Highway 880.
The incident was immediately reported to the authorities and Oakland police and Alameda County sheriff’s deputies responded promptly to the call.
Laser strikes are illegal. The Federal Aviation Administration says that since February 2012, it is a federal crime to aim a laser pointer at an aircraft.
Taylor added: “We don’t want any visual distractions for pilots entering or exiting the airport, so that’s something we want to guard against when at all possible.”
It is not clear if the authorities have already established the person or people behind the laser strikes, and if they have made any arrests.
Two years ago, there has been a record of laser strikes in San Francisco International Airport, that in one day alone in November of 2015, people have beamed those lasers at pilots 20 times. One pilot was even struck in the eyes by a laser.
The Oakland International Airport also recorded high incidents of laser strikes at that time.
The increased number of laser strikes over the recent years has been attributed to the devices getting really cheap and readily accessible. The good thing is, there’s also an improved enforcement mechanism to catch the culprits of laser strikes. Law enforcement cameras for one can identify people responsible for the attacks and get their location immediately.
A person caught committing laser strikes against an aircraft or its pilot can face up to five years in prison and fines of up to $250,000.
Source:
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2017/12/19/airplanes-targeted-lasers-oakland-airport/
