A Virgin Atlantic A340 returns to Heathrow after copilot is hit by laser beam

[sn26567]

A flight heading to New York turned back to London Heathrow Airport after a laser beam was shone into the cockpit, Virgin Atlantic has said.

The crew told air traffic control there was a "medical issue" with one of the pilots after the laser hit flight VS025 after take-off at 20:13 GMT on Sunday.

The flight was grounded overnight, and the 252 passengers put up in hotels. Passengers are due to board an alternative flight at 13:00 GMT today (Monday), but some complained about the length of the delay.

Shining a laser at a plane can be a criminal offence. There have been no arrests, but police are investigating.

Virgin Atlantic said the flight returned to the west London airport as a "precautionary measure" after the co-pilot reported feeling unwell.

The airline apologised to passengers for any inconvenience caused, and said it was working with the authorities to identify the source of the laser.



Full story from BBC: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-35575861

[sn26567]

The story is also reported as an accident (not an incident) in The Aviation Herald: http://avherald.com/h?article=493f2b06&opt=0

The crew declared PAN PAN PAN 60 minutes after take-off!

[Passenger]

The story is also reported as an accident (not an incident) in The Aviation Herald: http://avherald.com/h?article=493f2b06&opt=0

The crew declared PAN PAN PAN 60 minutes after take-off!

The Aviation Herald never reports laser incidents because those guys (m/f) kick on such reports. Only when it's a medical, it appears on AvHerald.

[Acid-drop]

so it took them 60 minutes to realize ?
Am I the only one to find it weird ?

the comments of avherald are also interesting
"nose up at least 15 degs. was not easy to find the pilots eye."

There is no way the duration was more than a few milliseconds anyway and the size of the beam at that distance must have been enough to light the whole plane.

It is quite likely that this is a political action, to highlight the potential danger and to force the police to act.

[galaxy]

The Aviation Herald never reports laser incidents because those guys (m/f) kick on such reports. Only when it's a medical, it appears on AvHerald.

The Aviation Herald has updated the story with report of the laser incident :

"Accident: Virgin Atlantic A346 at London on Feb 14th 2016, medical issue with pilot after laser strike "
http://avherald.com/h?article=493f2b06&opt=0

[Acid-drop]

Pilots are not doctors. "Medical issue" is very much subject to discussion. I'd wait a final report before making a conclusion...

[EBBU]

Unfortunatly, pilots don't usually have the time to wait for a final report before deciding to declare a medical emergency...

[sean1982]

Pilots are not doctors. "Medical issue" is very much subject to discussion. I'd wait a final report before making a conclusion...

Pilots also have access to MEDLINk (or a similar service) which are doctors and might have advised them them to turn back. Pilots also can carry a document which has a sort of a "self test" to assess the damage to the eye, but it needs a bit of time after exposure. Last month a BA pilots lost his medical due to a laser incident.

I think you're the only one jumping to conclusions here.

[Acid-drop]

I think questioning what we get from the media is a duty.
And it's also the reason why we have a forum and not just a news site.

Last month a BA pilots lost his medical due to a laser incident.

This story probably ? "what appears to be the most serious laser attack to date"
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/n ... t-heathrow

some interesting link also
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lasers_an ... ion_safety

I'm still curious how it can take 60 min to "feel unwell". Any doc in the room ?
(+ how do you decide to take the risk to flight back to LHR when you could land in Dublin)

[sean1982]

You need to wait approximatly 30 post exposure to do the the test I mentioned, then you need to contact ops and medlink. Coordinate the return. If you listen to the ATC recording you will hear the pilot mention his colleague is capable to do PNF duties, then why would you divert to an airport where you normally dont operate, get your passengers stuck and with no replacement crew.

Lets also consider than when it became apparent that the pilot's eye was damaged feeling unwell might also be partly anxiety. If the guy loses his medical its the end of his career!

[Bracebrace]

Looks like a fairly logical sequence. It's not a "land as soon as possible" situation, there is time available and the crew used all available time.

As long as you're not in atlantic airspace, diverting is an easy task and there are plenty of diversion options available. It's better to continue on the normal flightplan to burn of the fuel (maximum landing weight might also have been an issue). It gives the medical issue some extra time before you throw the towel, you never know it improves. There is plenty of time to inform OPS about the situation. They turned around and choose to divert just before MNPS airspace which is a good timing for the go/no go decision.

[luchtzak]

6 years ago I had my scepsis about laser beams, but I changed my mind after the discussion, re-read this thread : https://www.aviation24.be/forums/viewtopic.php?t=40475

[Acid-drop]

What did you conclude from that discussion ?

[Nevihta]

It is quite likely that this is a political action, to highlight the potential danger and to force the police to act.

I'd wait a final report before making a conclusion...

OK let's wait

Laser beams are quite a serious issue, even it might look doubtful to some. (Towers are also targeted by the way)
Pilots declared a PAN PAN, which is not an emergency, so then you consider returning to the most suitable base (which might not be the closest). There were other pilots in the plane, or the hurt pilot could do the coms and so on. As mentioned earlier here, coordinating a diversion is not that easy, and there might have been fuel dumping etc..
In the critical phases (take off, approach), not only is the risk to be blinded, but also severe distraction from what you're doing, and it can take a couple of precious seconds before realizing what is happening.

The difficult part being not to talk too much of it in the medias, not to encourage some to do it..

[sn26567]

Alitalia flight AZ4000 transporting Pope Francis from Cuba to Mexico was also struck by a laser beam. In a statement released Wednesday, Alitalia said one of its crews plus those on "other aircraft" in the area "noticed a laser light from the ground" as the pontiff's plane prepared to touch down in Mexico City.

No crew members or passengers "were injured by the beam," according to Alitalia. The Vatican said it didn't even know until later about lasers pointed at the aircraft.