New Jersey Man Who Shone Laser Beam at Small Jet Indicted on Patriot Act C

[steve2470]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBX1FDAO6E.html

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - A man accused of pointing a green laser beam at a small passenger jet, temporarily blinding the pilot and co-pilot, was indicted Wednesday under the federal anti-terror Patriot Act.

David W. Banach, who claimed he was looking at stars with his daughter, also was accused of lying to the FBI about the Dec. 29 incident in which the jet's windshield and cabin were hit three times with a beam as the plane approached Teterboro Airport.

The charges in the federal indictment were similar to those filed against Banach in an FBI complaint in January; the indictment replaces the complaint.

Attorney Gina Mendola-Longarzo said Banach was using the laser for stargazing when the plane was hit by the beam.
<snip>

[Catch22Dem]

1. a laser for stargazing?

ok :eyes:

[Bill McBlueState]

5. sure, why not?

[wtmusic]

21. Yes

often used to point out celestial objects to other stargazers.

[Catch22Dem]

23. understood (n/t)

[lenidog]

2. I have to agree with the statement

that its going overboard with charging him under the Patriot act. From the sounds of it he was screwing around with the plane when it came in for a landing. If three times is correct then he should be charged with something like endangerment or something of that nature.

[femme.democratique]

3. Why are people not paying attention to this??? Hello, its not like

...he shot a heat-seeking missile at the plane....

[lenidog]

6. You are right

and he shouldn't be charged under the Patriot Act but a laser can either temporarily or depending how strong it is permanently blind you. Not a good thing to happen when you are landing a plane. Hell even the distraction could have caused a crash.

[femme.democratique]

Yes, but the Patriot Act means he's a TERRAH-IST, I don't think so!!!!

Guy doesn't seem like a terrorist to me. If they prove he did something, then he should be charged for that crime. But what evidence do they have? Sounds to me more like moronic mischief (hell, he's probably a bu$h voter) than anything else.

[lenidog]

11. I agree with you

he should be charged with something like reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, something along those lines.

[femme.democratique]

10. dupe eom

[Bill McBlueState]

4. backyard astronomy

Backyard Astronomy -- a breeding ground for terrorists since 1781.

:eyes:

[DemoTex]

7. Good

Stargazing my ass. I am a retired airline captain and an amateur astronomer, so Mr. Banach's weak defense doesn't impress me at all. Enjoy jail, sir.


Canis Major

[Bill McBlueState]

8. Are you suggesting he was using the laser for something else?

[lenidog]

12. When I was reading the article

I was trying to figure out what you would use a laser for outside of a planetarium?

[Bill McBlueState]

14. see post #13

:)

[lenidog]

17. Thank You

I did not know that. I was thinking what kind of BS excuse is this. Because there is nothing for the laser to land on to point out. So its more or less useless. But now I know different.

[DemoTex]

15. Yes I am! Run with that!

Sounds to me that this guy is a malicious intruder. As a member of ALPA's (Air Line Pilots Association) Central Air Safety Committee, I have dealt with these types before. I am an expert, are you?


DemoTex ..17,000+ hours

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

22. Uhhhh...Mr. Angry BarbecueBreathBubba, sir...If I may...

What I don't get(along with a lot, and I mean a LOT of other things...) is the angle. He was on the ground. They are in the air. The windshield and the nose of the plane should do a lot of blocking of the laser beam.

Sounds to me like a couple of pilots saw a laser beam headed their way, got really pissed off, and well, as my old granny would say "darned a mean sock".

It just doesn't add up to me, but I also defer to your expertise in these matters.

[soothsayer]

27. I bet he was just seeing if it was possible, due to the news stories

about lasers hitting airplanes lately. I can see many people being tempted to try it just because it seems so improbable. Guess it works, tho!

[rodeodance]

9. the issue is that he is charged under a bill meant for terrorist and that

is serious. I am not saying he should not be charged (as a post says above)--but using a terroirst devise is scary!!

[Bill McBlueState]

13. Green Laser Pointers

I'm not attempting to say there's nothing wrong with shining a laser pointer at a plane. However... green laser pointers are useful in outdoor astronomy education. The beam is strong enough and narrow enough that, if there's even a small amount of moisture in the atmosphere, it can be used to indicate where to look in the sky. Red laser pointers are not generally strong enough to do this.

If you've ever tried to explain to a group of children just which of the hundreds of visible stars is Perseus's head, you can appreciate this.

Assuming the guy did what he's accused of doing, he should be punished, but I don't think many people would see this as an appropriate use of the Patriot Act.

[NYC]

18. Everyone should give up amateur astronomy.

...Banach, 38, faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of interference with pilots of an aircraft "with reckless disregard for the safety of human life," a provision of the USA Patriot Act passed following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

He also was charged with two counts of making false statements to law officers, each of which carries up to five years...

If this was just an evening of astronomy with his daughter, he is possibly facing 30 years in prison.

[makhno]

16. I say we skip the preliminaries

And move quickly and directly into full totalitarian mode. It's getting tedious watching the constitution being eroded year after year while still serving as a convenient fig leaf in affirmations that we have freedoms the rest of the world can't help but hate.

RICO, Patriot Act. Show me a piece of legislation that hasn't been exploited well beyond its original intent. It's as if the original intent were precisely ... but, no, that's the stuff of conspiracy theories.

[annabanana]

19. How many American citizens have been indicted under Patriot

Act? Are they, ipso facto terrorists? Who chooses? How do you fight it? Can they get due process?

So many questions........:shrug:

[Logansquare]

20. "can they get due process?" In a word, NO

Since he admitted actually using the light in a flight path, he undoubtedly is guilty of something. The courts would be right in determining whether it was an intentional act or one of criminal negligence. But using the Patriot Act???? The PA should be overturned in entirety--it's being used to completely by-pass constitutional rights. We can fight terrorism without it. All we need to do is get a President who actually reads warning memos from U.S. intelligence.

[Voltaire99]

24. Putting dangerous tech in idiots' hands: a proud American tradition

Tonight at Petco, what caught my eye by the checkout counter but a dog laser toy: the latest in gizmos for the giddy, the packaging said this little blinder would guarantee "hours of fun." That, or as long as your cornea can take.

The busted stargazer is a complete fool and gets little sympathy from me. But why anyone thinks our present day Deadwood is capable of using lasers responsibly, when it can't stop shooting itself with guns, is a mystery.

[high density]

25. How would this even be possible by hand?

Pointing a laser beam inside of a flying jet's cockpit from the ground seems like it would be almost impossible to do without the aid of some sort of machine.

[bpilgrim]

26. can't let the PATRIOT ACT sunset! gotta round up dem dare TERRORIST!

:puke:

so how many are also americans, i wonder? probably classified, eh?

peace