NYC Laser Incident Sends Pilots to Hospital

Acting on a tip from the FAA, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) on March 9 arrested Frank Egan, 36, in his mother’s Bronx apartment for aiming a laser pointer at two different aircraft that day. Egan confessed to pointing his “Laser 303” at a Bell 429 NYPD helicopter and an Air Canada EMB-190 from the apartment located four miles northeast of LGA. The Air Canada pilot sustained injuries as the aircraft climbed out of La Guardia andrequired hospitalization following that flight’s arrival in Toronto.

Two NYPD Police officers in the Bell also sustained injuries to their eyes and were transported to a local hospital in stable condition, where they were treated and released. While canvassing the area around LGA , the NYPD Aviation Unit observed an individual using a laser pointer from inside the apartment where the suspect was later arrested.

An NYPD spokesman said Egan was charged with two counts of assault on a police officer, three counts of felony assault, two counts of menacing a police officer, three counts of reckless endangerment and three counts of criminal possession of a weapon. Egan may still be subject to additional federal charges.

The FAA has a website for pilots and the public to report laser-pointing incidents.