A Missoula, Montana, man who aimed a laser pointer at an airplane as it approached the Great Falls airport was sentenced Thursday to three years of probation.
Brian John Loven, 42, pleaded guilty to a charge of aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft in October.
“It is important for the public to understand that pointing any laser, even a small one, at the cockpit of an aircraft can obscure the pilot’s view and jeopardize the safe operations of the aircraft,” said acting U.S. Attorney Leif Johnson.
The Great Falls incident did not result in any injuries, Johnson added.
Two pilots reported that on their descent to the Great Falls airport about 9:40 p.m. March 3, a bright green laser lit up the cockpit, according to a news release. The incident occurred in the area of Giant Springs State Park.
Cascade County Sheriff’s deputies went to the area and found a Jeep driving slowly through the parking lot of Heritage Park, which was closed. Loven was a passenger. The driver told deputies she was learning how to drive a manual transmission car. Deputies noticed a small, black pen-like device sticking out of the center cup holder. The driver explained it was a laser pointer and after activating it, deputies saw it emitted a green light.
Loven admitted to shining the laser and told deputies he didn’t know it was a federal offense. He just wanted to “test out the distance of the laser,” he said, according to the news release.
The law that criminalized aiming a laser beam at an airplane was passed as part of the Federal Aviation Administration Modernization and Reform Act of 2012. Loven faced a possible sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The prosecution recommended a sentence of between 15 to 21 months in prison.
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