Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) has reported that, in recent weeks, its crews have been subjected to a series of ‘lasing’ attacks (shining or directing a laser at an aircraft), the most severe event resulting in a significant injury to a crew member. In the attack, crew member Alex Clark suffered a burn to the cornea in one of his eyes. While the charity said he was on the path to full recovery, “his injury poignantly emphasises the very real threats faced by YAA’s crew members”.
Discussing the rising trend in laser attacks, YAA Chief Pilot Owen McTeggert said that in the event of an attack coming en route to a tasking, the resulting abort could have life-threatening implications for the casualty. “I’m sure most people who point a laser at a helicopter think it’s just a laugh and no harm is caused. But it can, in some cases, have life-changing consequences for the pilot, the crew, and if it’s an air ambulance under threat, the patient in the back whose life they are trying to save.”
