November 22 – A LifeFlight crew was disrupted by a laser last week as they flew back to their base in Sanford.
The light was aimed at the helicopter, which was flying about 2,000 feet in the air around 7:45 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 11, according to LifeFlight of Maine, a nonprofit that provides emergency medical transportation. While the pilot was able to fly back safely, those flashes of light could temporarily blind the crew, who often wear night vision goggles, the company said.
The Federal Aviation Administration has tracked thousands of laser attacks nationwide, in which someone points the beam at an aircraft. As of September 30, a total of 8,863 incidents had been reported to the agency, 24 of which were in Maine. In 2023, the national total was 13,304.
This is the fourth laser attack reported by a Maine LifeFlight pilot in two years, the company said.
Pointing a laser at aircraft is a federal crime, punishable by a fine, up to five years in prison, or both. And under Maine law, pointing a laser at a uniformed law enforcement officer or injuring another person with a laser is a Class D crime.
This story will be updated.
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