A WestJet pilot who flew from Newfoundland to Orlando International Airport was burned by a green laser. S.
Federal Aviation Administration officials said Wednesday.
Spokeswoman Catherine Bergen said in an email that when the laser hit the pilot, WestJet's plane was about 40 kilometers from the airport.
Soon after, the plane landed safely and the pilot was scheduled for sick leave, which was routine in this case.
The airline said in a statement that the incident occurred on Saturday but did not give any details due to privacy issues.
"Any pilot who reports being hit by a laser requires an eye assessment for safety and health reasons," spokesman Morgan Bell said in an email . ".
Bell said the laser incident posed a "serious concern" for the safety of crew and aircraft and immediately reported the investigation to local authorities.
"The pilot is very focused at all stages of the flight, but especially during the flight
"Aircraft take off and land when most laser events occur," she said . ".
"When any kind of light enters the flight deck, the pilots are trained to stay out of sight and keep their attention, but they also have to be alert to the surrounding environment and monitor the tarmac before landing.
The FAA is investigating the matter.
The agency said it had notified the Volusia County Sheriff's Office, which sent a deputy to an address in central Florida that was identified as a possible light source.
The sheriff's office said no one at the scene knew about the incident and there was no laser indicator.
Last year, the Canadian government announced strict new measures to ban
Due to the dangers of laser targeting aircraft, lasers are used around the airport and in the country's three largest cities.
Temporary measures prohibit anyone from owning batteriesoperated hand-
Keep a laser of more than 1 milliwatt outside a private home (such as work or education) without legal purpose.
The rule applies to municipalities in the Greater Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver regions, as well as municipalities within 10 kilometres of any Canadian airport or Heliport.
Penalties for people who deliberately target aircraft include a fine of up to $100,000, five years in prison or both, although the government acknowledges that, given the difficulty of catching people in the act, there are very few prosecutions.
However, the new rules also allow investigators to impose a fine of up to $5,000 on anyone caught.
Hold a laser in the restricted area for no reason.
Companies will face losses of up to $25,000.
Transport Canada reported 379 incidents of laser targeting aircraft in 2017, most of them in Ontario and Quebec.