(From North Jersey.com -- By Justo Bautista)
The pilot of a WNBC-TV news helicopter was temporarily blinded Friday when he was hit in the eye by a laser beam apparently emanating from the Paterson area, federal authorities said.
The pilot was able to maintain control of the aircraft,
FBI spokesman STEVE SIEGEL said.
Federal authorities were interviewing witnesses late Friday and were using videotape from the news chopper as evidence in the case, Siegel said.
"This is a reckless and stupid thing to do, given that a person was convicted of this last week," Siegel said, referring to DAVID W. BANACH, 39, of Parsippany, who pleaded guilty November 9th to violating THE PATRIOT ACT on
December 29th, 2004, by pointing a hand-held laser at a small plane.
Banach, free on $100,000 bail, is scheduled to be sentenced in February.
The news chopper pilot was struck in the eye by a laser beam about 5:30 pm as he was talking to air traffic controllers at TETERBORO AIRPORT, said JIM PETERS, a spokesman for THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA).
"The pilot indicated he had everything on tape and was able to give police coordinates," Peters said.
The FAA alerted the FBI to the incident, and agents from
THE JOINT TERRORISM TASK FORCE went to Paterson, Siegel said.
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