Crime & Safety
Laser Pointer from Upperco Disrupts Commercial Flight
The FAA alerted police to the incident, but officers could not find the person who shined a laser pointer at an airplane.
Someone in Upperco -- between Hampstead and Reisterstown -- shined a laser pointer at a commercial airplane flying at 30,000 feet on Monday, Jan. 7, but police could not locate the culprit.
“We got the call from the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) after it was relayed to them by an aircraft, but we searched the area and couldn’t come up with anything,” said Lt. Stephen Doarnberger, assistant commander of the Baltimore County Police’s Franklin Precinct. “It’s up in a rural area.”
The airline gave the FAA coordinates, which showed that the laser pointer was located in the area of Parrish and Emory roads in Upperco.
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The FAA can impose a civil penalty of up to $11,000 per violation on any person who interferes with a flight crew, which includes shining laser pointers into cockpits, according to a June 2011 press release.
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