Lasers target two Qantas jets

The Age reports that the safety of hundreds of passengers travelling aboard Melbourne-bound aircraft has again been jeopardised by laser beams aimed at pilots.

Lasers were pointed at two Qantas jets as they completed their landing approach to Melbourne Airport on Tuesday night.

The first plane was flying over Lancefield at 8.40pm when the pilot of the Boeing 737 reported a laser pointed at the cockpit.

The second incident occurred just before midnight when a plane, en-route from Perth, flew over the Romsey area.

Both towns are situated north of Melbourne’s major runway and are eight kilometres apart.

The Federal Department of Infrastructure and Transport said Tuesday night’s incidents were the first laser attacks recorded for Melbourne this year.

Last week, NSW police seized a high-powered laser believed to have been responsible for attacks on two commercial jets on January 22.

A Transport Department spokesman said there had been 325 reports of laser lights directed at aircraft since January last year, when logging of the incidents began.

In August, new amendments to the Civil Aviation Act were passed making it illegal to interfere with the safe working of an aircraft from outside, providing for a two-year jail term and fines of up to $5500.

Laser pointers powerful enough to cause eye damage in a time shorter than the human blink reflex are restricted in Australia, but lax policing and incorrect labelling mean more powerful lasers are commercially available, with powerful lasers with a beam up to five kilometres available online for about $40.

The lasers used were believed to be of the type used in the surveying and building industries or by amateur astronomers.

In August, just before the Civil Aviation Act was amended, a Qantas pilot flying from Canberra to Sydney was dazzled by a green laser. As a precaution, he was not allowed to fly the aircraft back to Canberra.

A Civil Aviation Safety Authority spokeswoman said it was a dangerous activity and had the potential to distract pilots as they attempted to land — which is one of the most critical stages of flight.

Reports of the incidents have been made to the Transport Department, and police are investigating.

A Report by The Mole