By Jennifer Reeger
Tribune-Review
NORTH HUNTINGDON, Pa. — Someone flashed a green laser at the cockpit of a Stat MedEvac helicopter as it flew over North Huntingdon early Thursday morning, initiating a police search for the culprit.
Police made no arrests in the incident, which occurred about 1:40 a.m. over the village of Shafton, township police Lt. Rod Mahinske said.
The medical helicopter was heading back to its Greensburg base after transporting a patient in Pittsburgh when the incident occurred, said Stat MedEvac spokesman Dan Nakles.
Someone flashed the laser several times at the cockpit, Nakles said.
“It’s dangerous,” Nakles said. “I’m sure people think it’s just a prank or a joke, but potentially it could blind the flight crew, and even if it’s temporary, any kind of distraction like that could be catastrophic.”
Members of the flight crew — pilot, paramedic and nurse — radioed their base about the incident. Officials in turn called 911, which contacted North Huntingdon police.
Mahinske said the helicopter crew pinpointed the area where the laser originated and returned to hover above and shine bright lights down as police conducted a search. Officers noted no activity inside or outside any of the homes in the area.
“Whoever it was, they either were scared and went inside or they drove off,” Mahinske said. “If we have any more incidents, we have a general idea of where to go in Shafton.”
But Mahinske said he hopes it won’t happen again.
“Hopefully they’ll think twice before they do this,” he said.
Rex Alexander, president of the National Pilots EMS Association, said this is beginning to be a more common occurrence, with reports of at least a dozen such incidents over the last 12 months.
“That is something that has happened more regularly than one might think,” said Alexander, who is based in Fort Wayne, Ind. “Individuals are flashing lasers not only at helicopters, but airplanes.”
Alexander, a helicopter pilot since 1986, said this is a federal violation.
“The FBI usually gets involved,” he said. “We recommend highly to people, don’t do it. Depending on the (brightness) of the laser, it can actually cause temporary blindness, it can cause injury.”
Nakles said it was fortunate nobody was injured in the incident.
“Our concern when something like this happens is safety for not only the flight crew, but any patient onboard and the people below, too,” Nakles said.
Alexander said the culprits often think they can be tough to locate, but that might not be the case.
“A lot of people don’t think we can tell where they’re at, but we can pretty well pinpoint where they were, if they’re on radar and we know where the aircraft has been,” he said.
Nakles said similar incidents occur from time to time across the nation. About three to four weeks ago, someone flashed a laser beam at two Stat MedEvac helicopters on the same night in Allegheny County’s North Hills area, Nakles said.
Nobody was injured in either of those incidents.
“I’m sure people don’t think about what they’re doing,” Nakles said.
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