CHP helicopter hit by laser near Palm Springs; crew traces beam to Desert Hot Springs home
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – A training flight near Palm Springs turned into an investigation after a California Highway Patrol helicopter was repeatedly struck by a laser, eventually leading officers to a home in Desert Hot Springs.
CHP says the incident happened during the evening of Aug. 21 while Pilot C. Rhodes and Flight Officer R. Espinosa were conducting a training flight in the Palm Springs area.
According to CHP, the helicopter was struck by a laser several times intermittently over the course of several minutes.
The crew used the aircraft’s onboard camera system to trace the apparent origin of the laser to a residence in Desert Hot Springs. CHP then contacted Desert Hot Springs Police, which sent officers to the home.
Police arrested a suspect without incident, and CHP says a laser pointer was recovered at the scene. Desert Hot Springs Police handled the arrest and subsequent charges.
CHP officials say incidents like this are far more serious than they may appear from the ground.
A laser entering an aircraft cockpit can temporarily impair a pilot’s vision, create glare or disorientation and potentially interfere with a crew’s ability to safely operate the aircraft.
Officer Matt Napier, a flight officer and paramedic with CHP’s Office of Air Operations in Thermal, spoke with News Channel 3 about what pilots experience when they are struck by a laser and why authorities continue to warn people against pointing them at aircraft.
CHP says laser strikes are illegal and can carry significant state and federal consequences.
News Channel 3 is taking a closer look at the danger laser strikes pose to pilots, what happens inside the cockpit when one occurs and the consequences for the person on the ground. Watch the full report today on News Channel 3 at 5.
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