All news

Krasnoyarsk prepares ban on selling laser targeting means

On Tuesday a plane approaching landing near Krasnoyarsk’s airport was attacked by laser hooligans

MOSCOW, August 30 (Itar-Tass) — Krasnoyarsk regional police drafts a ban on selling in Russia of equipment generating laser beams. The reason for this is the accident on Tuesday, where a plane approaching landing near Krasnoyarsk’s airport, was attacked by laser hooligans.

The police press service reports it was the first case of laser hooliganism in Siberia.

“The department decided to draft a document, which would initiate a ban of unlimited selling of laser beams equipment in Russia, which would be forwarded to the Territory’s legislators for further presentation to the State Duma,” the press service said.

The accident happened on Tuesday at 00:45 Moscow time, in the Yemelyanovsk District of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, as somebody laser blinded the crew of an Il-76 cargo plane as it approached landing. The plane belongs to the Aerostar Company; it operated a flight Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk – Krasnoyarsk – Yaroslavl. The plane landed safely.

The airport’s landing strip is directed from the west to the east. At the height of between 500 and 700 metres, planes follow the landing approach crossing four settlements. It is quite probable that the laser hooligans live there. The police will question the crew of the plane, which was laser-blinded.

From beginning of the current year, Russia has registered about 50 laser attacks on civil airplanes. Rosaviatsia has addressed all organisations and individuals to exclude occasions of using such mighty sources of beams for blinding aircrafts.

When a beam strikes eyes, a person stops seeing for some time – during approach to landing or during a take off it is most vital to follow all equipment and to make immediate decisions if required.