Flight fears: Plane pilots say concerns over aircraft laser strikes going unheard

Pilots' concerns are growing about laser strike and drone incidents. Photo / Tania Whyte

Pilots' grave concerns about aircraft laser strikes are going unheard by the relevant authorities as incidents mount.

That's according to New Zealand Air Line Pilots' Association spokesperson Captain Tim Robinson who says his demands to ban high-powered lasers have been "falling on deaf ears".

"I don't want to put words in their mouth but they obviously doesn't think the risk is great enough and we certainly do," Robinson said.

"We would hate to see a fatal accident, especially from a medium to large-size commercial airliner, because these lasers continue to illuminate aircraft."

Ministry of Transport (MoT) economic regulation manager Tom Forster did not directly respond to Robinson's claims but did acknowledge the danger laser strikes posed.

"Deliberately shining a laser at an aircraft can temporarily blind the flight crew and can potentially lead to disorientation or loss of aircraft control."

The Ministry of Health confirmed restrictions on high-powered laser pointers came into effect in 2014, but did not respond to Robinson's calls for a ban before deadline.

Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) deputy chief executive Dean Winter said he shared Robinson's concerns about the danger laser strikes posed to pilots, but noted it was "enormously difficult" to investigate such incidents.

Two laser incidents at New Zealand airports were reported in the past week. On Wednesday, reports of a laser being pointed at a commercial aircraft at Auckland Airport were made to police.

On Friday last week, a domestic Air New Zealand flight was targeted by a laser pointer as it was flying into Whangārei Airport.

Offenders face up to three years in prison or a fine up to $2000 if convicted of possession of a high-powered laser or up to 14 years in jail if convicted under the Crimes Act for endangering transport.

Between 2016-2019, a total of 809 laser incidents were reported to the CAA, compared to the 430 incidents between 2012-2015.

New Zealand Air Line Pilots Association's Tim Robinson. Photo / Supplied

Robinson said laser strikes generally occurred during school holidays at major airports, which could cause blindness, headaches and remove a pilot's ability to operate an aircraft.

With calls to ban high-powered lasers not acted on, Robinson feared lives were at stake if nothing was done.

"If these lasers continue to be in circulation and get in the hands of malicious users, then there's always the possibility it can bring down an aircraft."

Robinson wanted to see the penalties for laser strike offenders doubled, in conjunction with bans on high-powered lasers.

A similarly pressing issue for pilots was dangerous drone operation. Police are investigating an incident involving a drone flying within seven metres of a helicopter landing on the Dunedin Hospital helipad on Wednesday.

Otago Rescue Helicopter chief pilot Graham Gale later said the consequences could have been catastrophic.

A helicopter lands on a hospital helipad. Photo / File

Between 2017-2020, more than 2000 drone incidents were reported to the CAA, compared to the 375 incidents between 2013-2016.

Robinson said he was meeting with the MoT in May to convey their concerns regarding drone operation regulation and education.

However, he stressed the difference between drone incidents and laser strikes.

"In my experience, drone incidents are due more to lack of education than maliciousness, whereas laser incidents are definitely malicious."

Nevertheless, Robinson said that shouldn't detract from the gravity of drone incidents, which he believed were happening more frequently. Robinson himself encountered a drone which came very close to the Boeing 777 he was flying into the United States about two years ago.

Two evening laser strike incidents have occurred in Auckland and Whangārei in the past week. Photo / 123rf

The MoT is seeking public feedback about New Zealand's future drone regulation.

While he was glad to see signs of change, Robinson said progress had been too slow after years of campaigning.

"We've been frustrated at the length of time it's taken."

Robinson advocated for an education-first process whereby rules were communicated to registered drone owners.

He noted one of the major obstacles to meaningful reform was the public's significant privacy concerns regarding drone use, which took attention away from pilots' issues.

Forster said the MoT was consulting on a proposed package of regulatory measures to enable the safe integration of drones into New Zealand's aviation system.