Laser in cockpit, caught one
- Thread starter fly22
- Start date
slushie
F2TH C56X C500
slushie
F2TH C56X C500
See and avoid?!?! How do I know what way it's gunna go when it's all random?
I'm trying to circle an accident about 7,000 feet below me and suddenly it's in my eyes.
bdhill1979
Gone West
Patrick Murphy
New Member
FYI, the 30-year-old Bluffdale man referred to in the original post (about the February 2009 lasing of a Utah National Guard helicopter) killed himself on September 17, 2009.
An August 31, 2017 article implied but did not state that Joshua Don Park's suicide was related to his upcoming sentencing on the laser pointer charges. Park could have gotten from 5 to 20 years in prison (the maximum penalty was unclear from different sources).
The article also stated "Since that sobering incident, no Utah National Guard pilots have reported lasing incidents to the FBI—but not for lack of occurrences. 'My unit alone has had two incidents in the past three months,' said [Utah National Guard pilot Robert] Williams."
My post is not meant to be any commentary other than to pass on the fact of how the case referenced in this thread ended.
For anyone interested, here is additional information and links regarding the August 2017 article and the 2009 incident and subsequent suicide and obituary.
An August 31, 2017 article implied but did not state that Joshua Don Park's suicide was related to his upcoming sentencing on the laser pointer charges. Park could have gotten from 5 to 20 years in prison (the maximum penalty was unclear from different sources).
The article also stated "Since that sobering incident, no Utah National Guard pilots have reported lasing incidents to the FBI—but not for lack of occurrences. 'My unit alone has had two incidents in the past three months,' said [Utah National Guard pilot Robert] Williams."
My post is not meant to be any commentary other than to pass on the fact of how the case referenced in this thread ended.
For anyone interested, here is additional information and links regarding the August 2017 article and the 2009 incident and subsequent suicide and obituary.
FloridaLarry
Well-Known Member
Ignorance of the law does not create a useful defense.
Acting dangerously to the public and safety does usually create an offense. "Gee, officer, I didn't know that speeding in a school zone could harm kids."
We certainly have enough evidence that education alone won't stop dangerous behavior. Foolish people do need to be held accountable for the consequences of their actions.
Acting dangerously to the public and safety does usually create an offense. "Gee, officer, I didn't know that speeding in a school zone could harm kids."
We certainly have enough evidence that education alone won't stop dangerous behavior. Foolish people do need to be held accountable for the consequences of their actions.
Roger Roger
Bottom of the list
Well, he won't do that again.
NickH
Uber Driver
It does lead in to the continued philosophical discussion of justice as revenge. Should punishments be reflective of the action or the consequences? In this case, the punishments reflect the potential consequences when someone did something they had no knowledge or belief would be harmful. A moment of stupidity with (In this case) no actual damage done and 5+ years in prison.
Roger Roger
Bottom of the list
While it's an interesting question, I find it hard to believe that anyone who's ever used a laser pointer could have "no knowledge or belief that it was harmful". Unless they can't read the warning labels all over the place about how they can permanently damage eyesight and never to point it at a persons face.
NickH
Uber Driver
Maybe. Certainly today there's far fewer excuses, but this was in 2009, so publicity of the potential of damage from lasers was less prevalent. For him it was a toy for his cats, so who would read those warning labels? As previously discussed, this guy doesn't seem like the brightest either.
Roger Roger
Bottom of the list
My dad taught me when I was a kid in the 90s to never ever shine a laser at someone's face. So well that I still have a complex even about low power cat lasers.
Flyinthrew
Well-Known Member
But do you have a complex about low power laser cats?
http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/snl-digital-short-laser-cats/n12030?snl=1
bucksmith
Did you lock the doors?
I think many folks on here give the general public a little too much credit, especially when it comes to hanging them. I honestly believe there are many, many people who would not think a laser pointer designed for a classroom could endanger an aircraft "so far away". Yes, I'm sure most of them realize it would be bad to point it into their buddies eyes sitting across the table...
That said, my student and I got lased while doing pattern work at MRB years ago. Tower asked if we could assist in talking the LEO's over to the house. It was in a neighborhood with many twists and turns. We went into full ISR mode, very cool, and circled the property, my student flying and me not loosing sight of the back deck of the house. Knuckle heads even lased us a couple more times and I narrowly avoided taking it in the eye as they had to point it around a bit to get us.
We relayed instructions thru the tower to a line of blue lights that must of been a mile long! Got them on site then answered negative and affirmative as an officer stood in each front yard waving his flash light at us. FBI calls me a couple weeks later and informs me I might be called in to testify in federal court. They arrested a few guys all around the age of 18-20. Barely adults, but facing a very grown up punishment. I never had to go to court, and I don't remember ever hearing what became of them. But the FBI guy said they were looking to make an example of them. I couldn't help but feel bad for a few kids that probably ruined their lives over something I'm sure they thought only to be a harmless prank.
A lot of us got through our early years on pure luck. Many of us could of been dead or arrested for some of the stuff we did. (I rode crotch rockets most of my 20's) I tend to feel lucky I didn't get caught or killed instead of looking at these guys and thinking, thank God they got those bastards!
That said, my student and I got lased while doing pattern work at MRB years ago. Tower asked if we could assist in talking the LEO's over to the house. It was in a neighborhood with many twists and turns. We went into full ISR mode, very cool, and circled the property, my student flying and me not loosing sight of the back deck of the house. Knuckle heads even lased us a couple more times and I narrowly avoided taking it in the eye as they had to point it around a bit to get us.
We relayed instructions thru the tower to a line of blue lights that must of been a mile long! Got them on site then answered negative and affirmative as an officer stood in each front yard waving his flash light at us. FBI calls me a couple weeks later and informs me I might be called in to testify in federal court. They arrested a few guys all around the age of 18-20. Barely adults, but facing a very grown up punishment. I never had to go to court, and I don't remember ever hearing what became of them. But the FBI guy said they were looking to make an example of them. I couldn't help but feel bad for a few kids that probably ruined their lives over something I'm sure they thought only to be a harmless prank.
A lot of us got through our early years on pure luck. Many of us could of been dead or arrested for some of the stuff we did. (I rode crotch rockets most of my 20's) I tend to feel lucky I didn't get caught or killed instead of looking at these guys and thinking, thank God they got those bastards!
Roger Roger
Bottom of the list
Mumble mumble stupid games mumble stupid prizes.
Boris Badenov
This is no laughing matter.
I dunno, because there ARE warning labels? Dude wasn't sitting around shining it in his own eye, was he? Some fourth of July or another, some redneck or another is finally going to kill someone lighting off his crappy Chinese SKS knockoff in to the sky, and his ignorance isn't going to be any more exculpatory than this guy's was. Beep beep, out of the gene pool if you're peeing in it.
bucksmith
Did you lock the doors?
yeah, or that.
Nark
Macho Superpilot
The range of 7.62 out of an SKS, or any other variants concerns me very little, as compared to a laser.
Unless I'm flying tree tops, those rednecks aren't going to reach me. Laser, definitely.
I'm going to miss not being able to shoot, or laze back...
NovemberEcho
Dergs favorite member
Our laser reports jump dramatically in Nov/Dec cause of those Christmas decorations that have laser projections.
Oxman
Well-Known Member
falconvalley
Absentee Dad of the OOTSK, Runner, Cat Frustrator
People don't read warning labels, except for entertainment. Even some of the warnings in all the flight manuals I've read have some amount of hilarity in them. What is interesting, however, is that no one was accidentally lasering aircraft before the first news reports started circulating yahoo, MSN, lycos, etc, years ago.
