Pilots Spot Drone Near La Guardia; Lasers Target Planes Near JFK

Pilots spot drone near LGA, lasers target planes near JFK

May 29, 2015

WABC - The FAA says the crew of a Delta Shuttle from Washington spotted a drone while on descent into La Guardia this morning.

Shuttle America Flight 2708 from Reagan National to LaGuardia landed without incident.

Officials say the crew reported that the unmanned aircraft was operating in the vicinity of Prospect Park in Brooklyn at an altitude of about 2,700 feet. The FAA is investigating.

It is at least the third time this month that a drone has been spotted near La Guardia.

The incident came hours after five commercial planes leaving Kennedy airport were targeted by a laser.

The planes were at a flying altitude of 8,000 feet about 4 miles northwest of Farmingdale, N.Y., Thursday night.

American 185, Shuttle America 4213, Delta 2292 and Delta 2634 were all hit by lasers between 9:30 and 10 p.m. No injuries were reported.

In addition, Sun Country Airlines Flight 249 reported that around 11:30 p.m. a green laser illuminated the aircraft when it was 14 miles southwest of John F. Kennedy International Airport.

The Federal Aviation Administration notified the New York State Park Police and New Jersey State Police, and officials searched Bethpage State Park.

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said during an afternoon news conference that the green laser pointers are "a repeated danger."

"The government should use its authorities to do what I asked months ago - ban these green lasers," he said. "In the last year, there were 40 lasers shined into planes at LaGuardia Airport...19 laser strikes at JFK....and 28 laser strikes at Newark. The majority of those laser strikes were by green lasers."

Schumer says the FDA has power to ban the lasers, not the FAA, because of how the government is structured.

No arrests have been made in the Friday incidents.