| Australian Channel 9 chopper narrowly avoids disaster |
A CHANNEL 9 helicopter crew filming the NRL grand final narrowly avoided disaster after a laser beam was shone from the ground, temporarily blinding a cameraman.
The potentially fatal attack is the latest in a disturbing number of laser beam assaults on aircraft, with an ambulance helicopter transporting a critically-ill patient forced to delay landing after being attacked while flying near Sydney on Saturday.
Cameraman Darren McDonald was stunned by a green glare when it hit the lens of his camera just before the players ran on to the field around 1900 (AEST) during Sunday night's game.
"It shot into the camera lens and he was momentarily dazzled - if it had hit the pilot in the eyes and he's supposed to be controlling the aircraft, that's the danger," Nine's new director of news, Ian Cook said.
The crew immediately notified ATC. Police said the far-reaching laser beam came from a park nearby the stadium.
A police spokesman said the beam appeared to come from a building or house in Carnarvon St, Silverwater, however a search and door-knock of the area failed to find the source.
"People think it's fun but they don't understand just how dangerous it is and unless something isn't done to stop it, sooner or later there will be tragedy," pilot Brian Gettens said yesterday.
The weekend attack on the emergency medical helicopter en route from Nepean Hospital to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital was the second time pilot Darryl Humphries has been hit in the past 3 weeks.
"This is happening more and more now and apparently it's a fun thing to do - it's idiotic, crazy," Mr Cook said.
Qantas aircraft have also been targets, with one hit by a green light as it approached Brisbane airport earlier this month and another hit while landing at Darwin airport in August.
More than 170 reports of laser attacks on aircraft have been reported to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) in the past year, with 49 reported between April and June this year.
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