Laser pointed at Air Force C-17 in North Carolina

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Authorities in North Carolina say someone pointed a laser at an Air Force C-17 as it approached an airport.

Citing air traffic control audio, news outlets report the green laser hit the left side of the Globemaster III cockpit that was 12 miles north of Charlotte-Douglas International Airport Thursday night. The aircraft was about 3,000 feet in the air at the time.

Fortunately, the pilots were not blinded in this instance.

The airport in Charlotte is home to the 145th Airlift Wing of the North Carolina Air National Guard.

Officials have not made any arrests. Pointing a laser at a plane is a felony that can carry a five-year prison term, but it’s typically hard to identify suspects in these cases.

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