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Plane returns to London after laser was beamed into cockpit Plane returns to London after laser was beamed into cockpit
(35 minutes later)
LONDON — A Virgin Atlantic flight bound for New York has returned to London’s Heathrow Airport after a laser was beamed into the cockpit.LONDON — A Virgin Atlantic flight bound for New York has returned to London’s Heathrow Airport after a laser was beamed into the cockpit.
The airline says in a statement Monday that flight VS05 doubled back after the co-pilot reported feeling unwell. The pilots decided to return to Heathrow rather than making the trans-Atlantic crossing. The airline said in a statement Monday that flight VS025 decided to return to Heathrow rather than making the trans-Atlantic crossing. Passengers were offered overnight accommodation and the airline apologized for any inconvenience.
Police say they were contacted Sunday evening after reports about the laser being beamed into the cockpit. “We are working with the authorities to identify the source of the laser that caused the return of the aircraft to Heathrow,” the company said in a statement.
They didn’t immediately provide any more details. Police said they were contacted Sunday evening and that no arrests have been made.
No arrests have been made. According to civil aviation authorities in Britain, there were 414 such incidents in the first half of 2015 and some 1,440 in 2014.
Lasers can cause a temporary loss of sight that persists even after the light is moved, the British Airline Pilots Association said. They also have the power to blind.
“This is not an isolated incident,” said Jim McAuslan, the organization’s general secretary. “Aircraft are attacked with lasers at an alarming rate and with lasers with ever-increasing strength.”
The organization wants British authorities to classify lasers as offensive weapons.
Aviation analyst Howard Wheeldon described the shining of lasers into cockpits as a “very serious issue.”
“Those who are endangering the lives of passengers must be brought to justice,” he said.
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This story has been corrected to show the flight number was VS025, not VS05.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.