Laser beam briefly blinds pilots before Kolkata landing | Kolkata NewsWORLD NEWS
KOLKATA: A strong laser beam intruded the cockpit of an IndiGo flight from Bengaluru heading to Kolkata when the plane was just a kilometer from touchdown.
With the powerful lasers momentarily blinding pilots when they enter the cockpits, pilots and airlines have voiced serious concern about the incident and urged Bidhannagar Police to take stringent action against those using lasers in the approach funnel and endangering flight safety.There were 165 passengers and six crew on board.
Airport officials said the captain of IndiGo flight 6E 223, which was set to land at 7.30 pm on Friday, encountered the laser intrusion somewhere around Kaikhali. With the plane rapidly approaching the runway for touchdown with the rate of descent at 1,500-2,000 ft per minute, a momentary blinding of vision or distraction can be extremely annoying at the least and have catastrophic consequences at worst. If the intrusion happens too close to the landing strip, pilots can abort landing and go around to make a fresh approach.An airport official said the complaint was forwarded to NSCBI Airport police station and they were awaiting an action-taken report from the police.
“The problem of laser lights and the hazard they pose to flights figured at the Airport Environment Management Committee meeting last week that was attended by Bengal home secretary Nandini Chakravorty,” an official recounted.
Civil aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) mandates an 18.5km-radius exclusion zone for laser lights around airports to prevent pilots getting blinded by laser beams during landing.
Last Dec, Bidhannagar City Police had issued a blanket ban on use of drones and beaming of laser lights at night by event organisers in their jurisdiction. But that directive was targeted at year-end parties. The latest incident has prompted the authorities to contemplate extending the ban to marriage and other festive seasons as well. Incidentally, the entire Bidhannagar Police area falls under the red zone where use of laser lights and drones are prohibited throughout the year.
During festive occasions, pilots approaching the runway from Rajarhat to the south of the airport have repeatedly complained of laser beams.
With the powerful lasers momentarily blinding pilots when they enter the cockpits, pilots and airlines have voiced serious concern about the incident and urged Bidhannagar Police to take stringent action against those using lasers in the approach funnel and endangering flight safety.There were 165 passengers and six crew on board.
Airport officials said the captain of IndiGo flight 6E 223, which was set to land at 7.30 pm on Friday, encountered the laser intrusion somewhere around Kaikhali. With the plane rapidly approaching the runway for touchdown with the rate of descent at 1,500-2,000 ft per minute, a momentary blinding of vision or distraction can be extremely annoying at the least and have catastrophic consequences at worst. If the intrusion happens too close to the landing strip, pilots can abort landing and go around to make a fresh approach.An airport official said the complaint was forwarded to NSCBI Airport police station and they were awaiting an action-taken report from the police.
“The problem of laser lights and the hazard they pose to flights figured at the Airport Environment Management Committee meeting last week that was attended by Bengal home secretary Nandini Chakravorty,” an official recounted.
Civil aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) mandates an 18.5km-radius exclusion zone for laser lights around airports to prevent pilots getting blinded by laser beams during landing.
Last Dec, Bidhannagar City Police had issued a blanket ban on use of drones and beaming of laser lights at night by event organisers in their jurisdiction. But that directive was targeted at year-end parties. The latest incident has prompted the authorities to contemplate extending the ban to marriage and other festive seasons as well. Incidentally, the entire Bidhannagar Police area falls under the red zone where use of laser lights and drones are prohibited throughout the year.
During festive occasions, pilots approaching the runway from Rajarhat to the south of the airport have repeatedly complained of laser beams.
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