A 38-year-old man who fired green laser beams at two jets preparing to land at Orange County's John Wayne Airport has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison.
Dana Christian Welch of Orange was sentenced Monday following a trial in which he was convicted of firing at Boeing 7-series jets operated by United and Alaska airlines carrying a total of 280 people. He was acquitted of firing at a police helicopter dispatched to investigate the incident and a Delta Airlines jet with more than 100 passengers.
The beam hit the windshield of both aircraft, striking the United pilot in the eye and causing the Alaska pilot to duck. As a result, Alaska's co-pilot missed a critical turn needed to land the plane. Welch was arrested the following day, May 22, 2008.
While several people across the United States have pleaded guilty to federal charges of pointing lasers at aircraft, Welch was the first person in the nation to be convicted at trial of interfering with aircraft pilots by shooting lasers at their planes, said U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Thom Mrozek.
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