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As Duke Life Flight crews worked to save lives this April, someone on the ground below worked to distract them.
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Just before 10 p.m. April 14, the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office got a call from the Federal Aviation Administration. Lasers were being pointed at Duke Life Flight helicopters for several nights in a row, federal officials said. They had a general idea of where the lasers were coming from — around Swift Creek Road and Weatherspoon Lane, near the county airport. Could deputies investigate?
When a deputy went out to do just that, he, too, had a laser pointed at him, according to search warrants. But the deputy couldn’t find anyone at home in the area to talk to, so the mystery remained unsolved.
Three days later, a Duke Life Flight pilot called the sheriff’s office about 1:15 a.m, search warrants show.
“The pilot indicated that a green laser had been shined at their aircraft around the same time frame for the past 3 nights in a row,” search warrants state. “The pilot stated that the laser being pointed at the aircraft was intentional due to it tracking with them during flight, noting that it was being shined through the front windshield and also through the back glass creating cockpit illumination.”
Again, attempts to locate the source of the laser were unsuccessful — until the next night, when another Duke Life Flight pilot reported a similar incident, this time providing a video of the laser.
Detectives allege that video clearly showed the laser coming from the home of Alexander Urtso, 49, who lived in the 1600 block of Swift Creek Road.
“Alexander denied being involved with shining a light at any aircraft, stating that he lived alone and would not be involved in this kind of behavior,” a deputy wrote. “Alexander became argumentative with the Deputies after they told him that it was coming from his address.”
The pilot’s video allegedly showed a bright light flashing three times from the back porch of Urtso’s home as the helicopter descended toward Johnston Regional Airport. And when detectives searched Urtso’s electronic devices, they found he’d searched for information about Life Flight pilots wearing night vision devices and bought a “HITEKK High Power Green Laser” on Amazon, according to search warrants.
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“Urtso was asked about the laser pinter [sic] in his account history and he had a sudden recollection of having purchased the device within the past month,” a search warrant states. “He said that he purchased the laser for the purpose of using it for shining down car engines for mechanical use. He said that the laser broke so he threw it away.”
Detectives found the pointer’s plastic case and charging station in the trash, but not the pointer itself, according to a search warrant. Urtso was arrested May 13 on four charges of use of a laser device toward an aircraft and four charges of criminal use of a laser device.
Such charges can carry heavy penalties. The Federal Aviation Administration can fine up to $32,646 per laser strike, issuing $120,000 in such fines in 2021, according to the FAA website.
In North Carolina, it’s a felony to point a laser at law enforcement, first responders, members of the military and several other types of protected workers. And it’s also a felony to point an active laser at an aircraft in motion, with potential sentences ranging from four months to eight months in prison for someone with no prior criminal record, state laws show.
Though aircraft laser strikes have decreased in recent years, according to the FAA, there were at least 18 incidents in the Triangle area from January to April. All of those strikes were reported at RDU.
Charlotte-Douglas International Airport has seen the most strikes in North Carolina this year, with 25 incidents from January to April, FAA data shows.
Urtso, meanwhile, posted $150,000 secured bond the day of his arrest. He may not possess or use any laser device while he’s out on bail. His charges remained pending as of Thursday afternoon.
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