Laser Beam Hits Pilot, Malaysia Airlines Flight Forced To Circle Before Kolkata Landing

A Malaysia Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur carrying 159 passengers faced disruption while approaching Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata for landing after the pilot was reportedly distracted by a laser beam, airport sources said on Sunday.

Flight MH-184 was scheduled to land at around 11.20 pm on Saturday. However, when the aircraft was approximately eight nautical miles from the runway, the pilot reportedly noticed a bright laser beam flashing towards the cockpit from the Madhyamgram-Barasat side, sources told PTI.

The laser reportedly affected the pilot's vision and briefly disoriented him. As a result, the aircraft could not land at the scheduled time and had to circle before making another approach.