19/10/11……Laser pen incident ? South Oxfordshire (Status: Press release)

THAMES Valley Police is investigating a report of a green laser pen being shone at a commercial aircraft in the south Oxfordshire area.

Police were called by London Air Traffic Control about the incident, which happened between 8.45pm and 9.10pm last night (18/10).

The aircraft, which was heading towards Gatwick Airport, was flying over the south Oxfordshire area when it was tracked by a laser for several miles.

Deputy Area Commander Insp Ian Money said: ?Shining lasers at an aircraft is potentially very dangerous ? they are not toys. It could result in the pilot being dazzled, or in the worst case scenario it could cause the aircraft to crash. We take reports like this extremely seriously and will do all we can to find who is responsible.

?If anyone has information about a laser being shone in the area around the time of the incident, then please contact police as soon as possible.

?I would also urge anyone who witnesses a laser being shone at an aircraft or vehicles on the ground to call police immediately by dialling 999.?

Incidences of laser pens being shone at aircraft are routinely reported to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) via Mandatory Occurrence Reports completed by pilots or air traffic controllers.

A spokesman for the CAA said: ?Shining a laser at an aircraft in flight is a serious risk to the safety of passengers and crew, as well as people living close to major airports like Heathrow or Gatwick.

?During critical phases of flight, such as take-off and landing, pilots need to employ maximum concentration. Being dazzled and temporarily blinded by an intense light could potentially lead to flight crew losing control of the aircraft.

?Pointing a laser at an aircraft is now a specific criminal offence and the police are becoming very good at catching the perpetrators. We strongly urge anyone who observes a laser being used at night in the vicinity of an airport to contact the police immediately.?