20131120023839I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Bell 206B · Greenville, SC · November 20, 2013

Date
November 20, 2013 · 17:45 local
Place
Greenville, SC
Phase of flight
Hover/Holding
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N94TV
Reported as
Bell 206B
Reported engine
Allison 250-C20 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On November 20, 2013 at 1745 local time, in the Greenville, SC area, off of I-85SOUTH bound between the lanes of woodruff road and laurens road, wyff channel 4 helicopter, N94TV, call sign ?sky 4? Was illuminated by a green laser five or six times, as stated in privacy data omitted victim statement, the photographer, on board sky 4. Sky 4 pilot, privacy data omitted, stated in his victim statement that he saw the right front passenger looking up at their aircraft through his windshield pointing a laser at their aircraft. The individual pointing this laser was Mr. Damien wade conley as stated in the Greenville county sheriff?s office report # 13000185438. Sky 4 and another news helicopter, wspa channel 7, N97TV, call sign, ?air 7?, were both responding to and filming a traffic incident at the time. Air 7?s cockpit was illuminated by a green laser three times coming from a white ford explorer truck, as stated in privacy data omitted victim statement, the pilot of air 7. The individual pointing this laser was privacy data omitted as stated in the Greenville county sheriff?s office report # 13000185438. After verifying with the news helicopters what type of vehicle and the tag number, (it was video recorded), a white ford explorer sport trac truck, SC tag #privacy data omitted was pulled over by the Greenville sheriff?s department. The driver of that vehicle was privacy data omitted. The police report states that she is the girlfriend of the suspect. They spoke to the passenger, privacy data omitted, and asked him if he had a laser pointer. privacy data omitted Lifted his hand up to the window and had a silver laser pointer in his hand. The laser pointer was seized by the sheriff?s office and placed into property and evidence as evidence of the incident. privacy data omitted Was read his rights and arrested. privacy data omitted Gave the officer a suspect statement and signed the property and evidence sheet acknowledging that he was the owner of the laser pointer the officer was taking. The fbi and the us attorney?s office will be determining if this case will be taken for prosecution on the federal level. SO-FSDO-13 was contacted on November 21, 2013 at 1545BY Mr. Waymon h. massey iii, the air traffic control manager, gmu, concerning the incident. SO13 opened this incident report and contacted the regional laser specialist for guidance. SO13 also contacted ASO-750, internal security and investigations branch for any specific procedures to follow concerning laser incidents. It is believed that CFR 14 part 91.11 has been violated. This incident report is to be closed out and an eir opened.

As the FAA filed it

ON NOVEMBER 20, 2013 AT 1745 LOCAL TIME, IN THE GREENVILLE, SC AREA, OFF OF I-85SOUTH BOUND BETWEEN THE LANES OF WOODRUFF ROAD AND LAURENS ROAD, WYFF CHANNEL 4 HELICOPTER, N94TV, CALL SIGN ?SKY 4? WAS ILLUMINATED BY A GREEN LASER FIVE OR SIX TIMES, AS STATED IN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ VICTIM STATEMENT, THE PHOTOGRAPHER, ON BOARD SKY 4. SKY 4 PILOT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, STATED IN HIS VICTIM STATEMENT THAT HE SAW THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER LOOKING UP AT THEIR AIRCRAFT THROUGH HIS WINDSHIELD POINTING A LASER AT THEIR AIRCRAFT. THE INDIVIDUAL POINTING THIS LASER WAS MR. DAMIEN WADE CONLEY AS STATED IN THE GREENVILLE COUNTY SHERIFF?S OFFICE REPORT # 13000185438. SKY 4 AND ANOTHER NEWS HELICOPTER, WSPA CHANNEL 7, N97TV, CALL SIGN, ?AIR 7?, WERE BOTH RESPONDING TO AND FILMING A TRAFFIC INCIDENT AT THE TIME. AIR 7?S COCKPIT WAS ILLUMINATED BY A GREEN LASER THREE TIMES COMING FROM A WHITE FORD EXPLORER TRUCK, AS STATED IN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ VICTIM STATEMENT, THE PILOT OF AIR 7. THE INDIVIDUAL POINTING THIS LASER WAS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AS STATED IN THE GREENVILLE COUNTY SHERIFF?S OFFICE REPORT # 13000185438. AFTER VERIFYING WITH THE NEWS HELICOPTERS WHAT TYPE OF VEHICLE AND THE TAG NUMBER, (IT WAS VIDEO RECORDED), A WHITE FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC TRUCK, SC TAG #^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS PULLED OVER BY THE GREENVILLE SHERIFF?S DEPARTMENT. THE DRIVER OF THAT VEHICLE WAS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE POLICE REPORT STATES THAT SHE IS THE GIRLFRIEND OF THE SUSPECT. THEY SPOKE TO THE PASSENGER, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AND ASKED HIM IF HE HAD A LASER POINTER. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ LIFTED HIS HAND UP TO THE WINDOW AND HAD A SILVER LASER POINTER IN HIS HAND. THE LASER POINTER WAS SEIZED BY THE SHERIFF?S OFFICE AND PLACED INTO PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE AS EVIDENCE OF THE INCIDENT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS READ HIS RIGHTS AND ARRESTED. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ GAVE THE OFFICER A SUSPECT STATEMENT AND SIGNED THE PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE SHEET ACKNOWLEDGING THAT HE WAS THE OWNER OF THE LASER POINTER THE OFFICER WAS TAKING. THE FBI AND THE US ATTORNEY?S OFFICE WILL BE DETERMINING IF THIS CASE WILL BE TAKEN FOR PROSECUTION ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL. SO-FSDO-13 WAS CONTACTED ON NOVEMBER 21, 2013 AT 1545BY MR. WAYMON H. MASSEY III, THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL MANAGER, GMU, CONCERNING THE INCIDENT. SO13 OPENED THIS INCIDENT REPORT AND CONTACTED THE REGIONAL LASER SPECIALIST FOR GUIDANCE. SO13 ALSO CONTACTED ASO-750, INTERNAL SECURITY AND INVESTIGATIONS BRANCH FOR ANY SPECIFIC PROCEDURES TO FOLLOW CONCERNING LASER INCIDENTS. IT IS BELIEVED THAT CFR 14 PART 91.11 HAS BEEN VIOLATED. THIS INCIDENT REPORT IS TO BE CLOSED OUT AND AN EIR OPENED.