Laser lights flashed at aircraft near Mysuru airport pose threat to pilots

By K P Nagaraj

MYSURU: Pilots landing and taking off from the Mysuru airport due to flashing of laser lights from nearby villages. This has been going on for about a month now and pilots have complained of landing and taking off.

According to airport officials, the laser beams are directed at the aircraft from the direction of Marase and Mandakalli villages during evenings when the Chennai flight arrives and takes off. After complaints from the pilots, the airport authorities have now lodged a complaint with the police and sought action against the miscreants.

In the complaint, the airport authorities have explained how the laser beams affect the pilots during landing an takeoff. “During the last month, few incidents of laser beam interference were reported by the aircraft operating within the vicinity of Mysuru airport. A laser beam has a potential to momentarily blind a pilot, leaving them incapacitated till the vision is restored. This is a major safety hazard during critical phases of flight such as landing and takeoff”, the airport officials said.

“Lasers are available in a variety of colours, intensities, and power outputs. High Power Green lasers (5mW) are easily available in the open market at an affordable price. Green lasers are classified as more hazardous than other colour lasers”, the letter to the police noted.

“Exposure to a strong laser light source can result in a flash blindness and after-images. In flash blindness, the exposure to a very bright light source can deprive pilots of vision for a time period ranging from a few seconds to a few minutes. This may then be followed by after-images, such as the yellow and purple dots seen after a flash photo. Subsequently, these after-images will disappear in some time”, the letter noted.

“Civil Aviation Safety Regulatory Authority DGCA mandates to maintain a 25 km laser beam protected flight zone (exclusion zone for laser lights) around the Mysuru airport to prevent pilots from the laser beam incidents. Under the Aircraft Rules 1937, it is an serious offense to interfere with the safe operation of an airplane, that also includes the flight crew. Hence, no person shall wilfully or negligently endanger or interfere with aircraft operations by any ground light or laser light”, it said.

In the public interest, this is requested to all public residing in proximity of Mysuru airport (withing 25km) to abstain from operating or pointing laser beam towards aircraft to avoid any incident/accident of aircraft”, the letter said.