View Green Laser Sept. 18 2011 O’Hare in a larger map
Mount Prospect police received a report about 7:49 p.m. Sunday from O’Hare International Airport police that someone was shining a green laser light toward aircraft about 3.5 miles north of the airport near a large white water tower. Police were dispatched to check the area of Maple and Busse and possibly other areas to check for suspicious activity.
Pilots reported the source was near a large, white water tower.
No known reports of any injuries or mishaps.
The FAA warns people not to point high-powered lasers at aircraft because they can damage a pilot’s eyes or cause temporary blindness. According to the FAA, there are three report commonly reported physiological effects associated with laser exposure:
Glare – Obscuration of an object in a person’s field of vision due to a bright light source located near the same line of sight.
Flashblindness – A visual interference effect that persists after the source of illumination has been removed.
Afterimage – A transient image left in the visual field after an exposure to a bright light.
Cases involving people who have pointed laser lights at aircraft have resulted in arrests, trials and jail sentences.
Buffalo Grove police received a report of green laser light pointing at aircraft from Chicago Executive Airport about one year ago near 1050 North Main Street, Buffalo Grove. No known arrests regarding the Buffalo Grove case.
View Green Laser Sept. 18 2011 O’Hare in a larger map
The water tower at the southeast corner of Golf Road and Route 83 is 3.84 miles north of O’HARE AIRPORT NORTH AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER.
The Mount Prospect downtown water tower near Evergreen and Maple is 4.84 miles north of O’HARE AIRPORT NORTH AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER.
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See also …
The Cardinal Chicago Executive Airport Asks Buffalo Grove Police for Help Finding Source of Green Laser Light Directed at Planes
[PDF] http://www.faa.gov/pilots/safety/pilotsafetybrochures/media/laser_hazards_web.pdf