Nicholas James Link of Rochester, Minnesota has been sentenced to two years in prison for shining a laser at a Delta Airlines aircraft, according to a press release from the US Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Wisconsin. The incident took place on October 29, 2021, when pilots from Delta Air Lines reported to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport that they had been hit by a laser.
The Airbus A319 was flying from Raleigh-Durham to Minneapolis at an altitude of 9,000 feet, just west of River Falls, Wisconsin, when the cockpit was illuminated three times by a blue laser. The pilots were distracted by the laser strikes, making it difficult to look at briefings on their iPads. Air traffic control instructed the aircraft to change runways, which the pilots were able to do safely. The laser strikes did not result in any harm or incident.
Link pleaded guilty to the charges on January 12, 2023, and US District Judge William M. Conley sentenced him to two years in prison. The captain reported that his vision in his right eye was affected for several hours after the incident, though the first officer did not experience any vision problems.
Following the laser strikes, the Minnesota State Patrol aircraft was contacted by air traffic control, which flew to River Falls to investigate the matter. When the State Patrol pilots circled the area at 3,500 feet, their aircraft was also struck by a blue laser. With the help of the aircraft’s surveillance equipment, the suspect was later identified.
The patrol aircraft kept an eye on the suspect and informed law enforcement of his location. The police officers were able to locate and arrest him.
Link’s defense was that the laser strikes were not commonly known to be dangerous. However, Judge Conley rejected this argument, stating that such incidents are frequently reported in the news and the danger is commonly known. The judge described shining a laser at an aircraft as ‘incredibly dangerous and reckless.’
Post Your Comments