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B737 flight crew reports being tracked by a green laser light from a source on the ground in new braunfels during approach to sat. Flight crew is unharmed and lands safely.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 796185 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200807 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sat.airport |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl single value : 9000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : sat.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | arrival : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time type : 7000 |
| ASRS Report | 796185 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Environmental Factor |
| Primary Problem | Environmental Factor |
Narrative:
On approach to sat landing; I was looking for traffic and scanning outside the left side of the aircraft. A bright green light caught my eye near an open area surrounded by I-35; highway 306; common street; and highway 40 in new braunfels; tx. The light came from the southwest area of the open area just on the east side of the railroad tracks. I looked away and the first officer noticed the green light entered the cockpit. I looked back outside and was illuminated again by the green light a second time. The first officer noted this light as well. After a few seconds I looked back outside to make sure it was not the new braunfels airport and reported the incident to ATC. I then went to google earth to specifically locate where the area was that illuminated the cockpit for further investigation by auths. Possible police helicopter operations could keep an eye on this area for future laser strikes.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737 FLT CREW REPORTS BEING TRACKED BY A GREEN LASER LIGHT FROM A SOURCE ON THE GROUND IN NEW BRAUNFELS DURING APPROACH TO SAT. FLT CREW IS UNHARMED AND LANDS SAFELY.
Narrative: ON APCH TO SAT LNDG; I WAS LOOKING FOR TFC AND SCANNING OUTSIDE THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT. A BRIGHT GREEN LIGHT CAUGHT MY EYE NEAR AN OPEN AREA SURROUNDED BY I-35; HWY 306; COMMON STREET; AND HWY 40 IN NEW BRAUNFELS; TX. THE LIGHT CAME FROM THE SW AREA OF THE OPEN AREA JUST ON THE E SIDE OF THE RAILROAD TRACKS. I LOOKED AWAY AND THE FO NOTICED THE GREEN LIGHT ENTERED THE COCKPIT. I LOOKED BACK OUTSIDE AND WAS ILLUMINATED AGAIN BY THE GREEN LIGHT A SECOND TIME. THE FO NOTED THIS LIGHT AS WELL. AFTER A FEW SECONDS I LOOKED BACK OUTSIDE TO MAKE SURE IT WAS NOT THE NEW BRAUNFELS ARPT AND RPTED THE INCIDENT TO ATC. I THEN WENT TO GOOGLE EARTH TO SPECIFICALLY LOCATE WHERE THE AREA WAS THAT ILLUMINATED THE COCKPIT FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION BY AUTHS. POSSIBLE POLICE HELI OPS COULD KEEP AN EYE ON THIS AREA FOR FUTURE LASER STRIKES.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.