Report of spotlight directed at plane landing in Pangnirtung prompts warning
‘Disturbing’ allegation could have blinded pilots, hamlet SAO says
A plane approaches the Pangnirtung airport to land, in a photo from 2023. (File photo by Corey Larocque)
A “disturbing” message about a spotlight being shone into the flight deck of an incoming aircraft has prompted Pangnirtung hamlet council to issue a safety warning.
“We want to let people know that this happened and discuss the potential implications of disorienting or blinding pilots during their approach into Pangnirtung, so that it never occurs again in the future,” Jack Hicks, the hamlet’s SAO, told Nunatsiaq News.
The incident happened on the afternoon of Nov. 23, according to a message the hamlet office received from Canadian North airline.
In the message, Canadian North said someone on a boat in the fjord several times directed a spotlight into the Canadian North cockpit as the plane was landing.
“While both the captain and first officer recovered from the incidents and were able to land successfully, the intense glare could have jeopardized the crew’s ability to operate safely,” the message said, according to the hamlet’s Facebook post.
The message did not say how many people were on the plane.
According to the federal Aeronautics Act, penalties of up to $100,000 in fines and five years in prison can be levied against anyone convicted of shining a light into the flight deck of an aircraft.
Hicks said he believes this is the first allegation of lights being shone toward a landing plane that the hamlet has been informed of. He said he is not aware of any other investigations taking place.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is aware of the incident but is not investigating, a spokesperson told Nunatsiaq News.
“After verifying with our regional managers, they confirmed that this occurrence is not considered a reportable occurrence under the Transportation Safety Board regulations,”said spokesperson Hugo Fontaine.
Canadian North has not responded to a request for comment.
Should be charged for attempted murder. Putting people’s safety on the line, for the perpetrator own amusement.
There’s a separate offence in the Criminal Code called endangering an aircraft; it’s Section 77. You can get life in jail for it.