Pilot blinded by laser and forced to abort landing flight with 159 passengers on board as police open up probe

NewsWorld News A MALAYSIA Airlines flight was forced to abort its landing after a laser beam was shone directly into the cockpit. Flight MH-184, travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Kolkata, was due to touch down at around 11.20pm on Saturday. A pilot on a Malaysia Airlines flight was forced to abort landing after a laser was shone into the cockpit Credit: EPA The flight was due to arrive in Kolkata late on Saturday night Credit: Getty But the pilot was forced to delay the landing after being dazzled by the powerful beam. The pilot reportedly spotted the bright light while the aircraft was still around eight nautical miles from the runway. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! The sudden glare briefly left him disorientated, meaning the plane could not land as planned. Instead, he was forced to circle in the air until it was safe to make another approach. The aircraft eventually touched down at around 11.25pm, just five minutes behind schedule. There were 159 passengers on board at the time, with all passengers and crew confirmed safe. Kolkata airport bosses have since filed a report with police over the incident. An investigation is now underway to establish exactly what happened. Most read in The Sun Kolkata airport director Vikram Singh said the use of laser lights around the airport is prohibited, but warned that such incidents do occur occasionally. Aviation experts say that lasers aimed at aircraft during take-off and landing can be extremely dangerous. The intense light can temporarily impair a pilot’s vision, causing severe distraction or effects similar to short-term blindness during the most critical stages of a flight. It is not the first time aircraft operating in and out of Kolkata airport have been targeted by laser beams. During the 2025 Durga Puja festivities, laser lights used near the Sreebhumi Sporting Club pandal reportedly raised concerns among pilots. The laser show was subsequently stopped. In a separate incident on Sunday, a private training aircraft crashed near Baramati airfield in Maharashtra’s Pune district. Authorities said the crash happened at around 12.30pm and confirmed there were no casualties. Comment now