RCMP are investigating after someone repeatedly aimed a laser beam at a military aircraft near Comox on the weekend.
A Buffalo aircraft from 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron at 19 Wing Comox was heading to a rescue operation Saturday when the pilot and navigator saw the flash of a green laser in the cockpit, said Lt.-Cmdr. Michael Feltovic.
At one point, the green beam entered the cockpit and bounced off the ceiling.
“When the laser enters the cockpit and you get the glare bouncing around, that’s when it can enter your eye and be very blinding,” said Feltovic, who was in a Cormorant helicopter that was also tasked for the rescue.
The aircraft was in the “climb out” phase after takeoff, which is a lower risk period of flight. If the laser beam had entered the cockpit during takeoff or landing, it could have been very dangerous, Feltovic said.
“It’s the distraction and loss of your night vision in the critical phase of flight that could increase the possibility of a mishap or an accident happening.”
The crew reported the incident to air-traffic control, which alerted Comox Valley RCMP about 9:45 p.m.
Mounties went to Highway 19 near the Mount Washington turnoff, where the beam was thought to have originated, said Comox Valley RCMP spokesman Const. Rob Gardner. Police could not find its source.
The pilot and navigator were checked by an ophthalmologist as a precaution and were found to be medically fit to carry out their duties.
Pointing a laser at an aircraft is a criminal offence under the Aeronautics Act. Someone convicted of the offence could face up to $100,000 in fines or five years in prison.
