Another Sea-Tac flight targeted with laser
SEA-TAC AIRPORT -- Another plane was targeted with a laser beam on Tuesday evening while heading into Sea-Tac Airport for a landing, according to airport officials.
Airport spokesman Terri Ann Betancourt said pilots reported a bright light being flashed into the cockpit as their plane was preparing to land at 8 p.m.
Alaska Airlines Flight 487 from San Diego landed without incident, but officials are investigating where the light beam came from.
Betancourt said investigators believe the laser beam originated from an area 2 miles north and slightly west of the airport.
"It looks like a similar area that had been reported incidents previously," she said.
Earlier this month, pilots on five different flights reported having fallen victim to a similar incident, four of which took place on the same night. Pilots filed a dozen similar reports last month.
Investigators arrested a Burien man in connection with several of the incidents. The man has since been released, and detectives said the investigation is ongoing.
David Campbell with the Air Lines Pilots Association said last month that bright laser light isn't likely to jeopardize the safety of passengers, but can be a huge distraction to the pilots.
"We're able to handle this threat, but it's something that we'd rather not (handle)," he said. "The danger is, as you look to find where you are in relation to the airport, the laser beam hits you right directly in the eye. That's the real danger."
It is a federal offense to shine a laser at a plane in flight.
Airport spokesman Terri Ann Betancourt said pilots reported a bright light being flashed into the cockpit as their plane was preparing to land at 8 p.m.
Alaska Airlines Flight 487 from San Diego landed without incident, but officials are investigating where the light beam came from.
Betancourt said investigators believe the laser beam originated from an area 2 miles north and slightly west of the airport.
"It looks like a similar area that had been reported incidents previously," she said.
Earlier this month, pilots on five different flights reported having fallen victim to a similar incident, four of which took place on the same night. Pilots filed a dozen similar reports last month.
Investigators arrested a Burien man in connection with several of the incidents. The man has since been released, and detectives said the investigation is ongoing.
David Campbell with the Air Lines Pilots Association said last month that bright laser light isn't likely to jeopardize the safety of passengers, but can be a huge distraction to the pilots.
"We're able to handle this threat, but it's something that we'd rather not (handle)," he said. "The danger is, as you look to find where you are in relation to the airport, the laser beam hits you right directly in the eye. That's the real danger."
It is a federal offense to shine a laser at a plane in flight.