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Plane hit with laser light while taking off from Tulsa Airport

Posted at 5:25 AM, Mar 07, 2018
and last updated 2018-03-07 09:27:29-05

Pilots in a cargo plane taking off from Tulsa International Airport reported someone hit the plane with a laser Tuesday night.

FedEx Flight 1375 took off from Tulsa at 10:18 PM, bound for Memphis. It was carrying thousands of pounds of packages and crew members.

Just a few minutes after take off, the pilot of the Airbus A300 alerted air traffic control that a green laser light appeared to come from somewhere on the ground just north of the airport. 

The pilots were not hurt and the FedEx plane continued on its trip to Memphis, where it landed at 11:11 PM.

The Federal Aviation Administration told 2 Works For You it is aware of the situation and looking into it.

Green lasers are powerful and can cause temporarily blindness if the beam hits the cockpit of an aircraft.

 

FedEX released the following statement on Wednesday morning:

 

We are unable to confirm the details of this incident at this time. This act is a federal crime, and FedEx will cooperate with authorities in the investigation.

According to the FAA, 6,753 laser incidents were reported in 2017. Most involved green lasers.

Pointing a laser into a cockpit is a federal offense, which can lead to a five-year prison sentence and $250,000 fine.
 

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