Captain aborted landing over laser light

Irish air accident investigators have recommended that aviation authorities in Portugal review their current legislation after the crew of a Ryanair flight was targeted by a dangerous laser light.

During its investigation into an incident last year involving the Ryanair flight, the Air Accident Investigation Unit of the Department of Transport here was informed that it is not a criminal offence to shine a laser at an airport in Portugal. On September 5 last year, the captain of a Ryanair flight was temporarily blinded by a laser while on approach to Porto Airport in Portugal.

The co-pilot, who was the ‘pilot flying’ at the time, was not directly affected by the light but was ‘distracted’ by the incident which forced the crew to abort their landing.