B.C. man arrested after laser strikes disrupt search-and-rescue coverage

The first fully painted CC-295 Kingfisher as seen at the Airbus production facility in Seville, Spain on Oct. 8, 2019 (Airbus)

A 38-year-old man was arrested on Vancouver Island after a military search-and-rescue airplane was struck multiple times with a laser while on a nighttime training flight.

The Comox Valley RCMP says it received a report at about 9:45 p.m. on April 23 from officials at 19 Wing Comox, who said one of their aircraft had been targeted with a laser from the ground.

The plane—a CC-295 Kingfisher—returned safely to the air base and the pilots were removed from flying duties pending medical assessment, in accordance with the Royal Canadian Air Force’s flight safety precautions.

Pilots removed from service

A spokesperson for 19 Wing Comox says the flight crew was not injured or impaired by the incident, but their removal from service could have put lives at risk.

“The affected crew was on SAR (search-and-rescue) standby,” said Lt.(N) Keil Kodama on Wednesday.

“Their grounding resulted in a temporary reduction in fixed-wing SAR coverage for British Columbia and the Yukon,” he added. “Had there been a need for a fixed-wing SAR aircraft in Western Canada on Thursday, April 23, 19 Wing Comox would not been able to immediately respond.”

Police say the suspect was “promptly located and arrested without incident.” He was subsequently released from custody pending a scheduled court appearance.

Const. Monika Terragni says investigators are still gathering evidence related to the incident before submitting a report recommending charges to Crown prosecutors.

“As the investigation continues, no further details about this incident can be released at this time,” Terragni said in a statement.

‘Not a harmless prank’

The Kingfisher is Canada’s newest fixed-wing search and rescue aircraft and became operational across the country last year.

• New search-and-rescue planes to reach 2-hour ‘alert’ milestone

Kodama says laser strikes can injure or distract pilots at critical phases of flight, placing crew members, passengers and people on the ground at significant risk.

There have been at least 10 such strikes on military and civilian aircraft near 19 Wing Comox over the past year, he said.

“Pointing a laser at an aircraft is not a harmless prank,” Kodama said. “It’s a serious offence that endangers lives.”

In a separate case, three Canadian Armed Forces members were injured in 2024 when their helicopter was hit by a laser during a training exercise over Alaska.

A 49-year-old woman was later arrested and sentenced to three years of probation.

The helicopter involved in that incident was one of two CH-146 Griffon aircraft from 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron in Edmonton. The Department of National Defence said all three crew members received immediate treatment for minor eye injuries.