FAA Warns of Record 'Dangerous Laser Strikes'
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says it received a record number of reports concerning "dangerous laser strikes" targeting aircraft pilots throughout 2021.
The administration received 9,723 such reports in 2021, a 41% increase over the number it received in 2020. This is part of an ongoing trend—the FAA says on the Laser Safety page of its website that reports of laser strikes have risen more than 250% since 2010.
The FAA offers a few explanations for these increases in a fact sheet simply entitled "Lasers":
The availability of inexpensive laser devices
The abundance of lasers for sale in stores and online
The number of lasers being given as gifts
Stronger power levels that enable lasers to hit aircraft at higher altitudes
Green lasers, which are more visible to the human eye than red lasers
Greater awareness by pilots to report laser incidents, due in large part to the FAA’s extensive outreach program
"Shining a laser at an aircraft is a serious safety threat," the FAA says. "Many types of high-powered lasers can incapacitate pilots, many of whom are flying airplanes with hundreds of passengers. Pilots have reported 244 injuries since the FAA began recording data on laser strikes in 2010."
The FAA says it issued $120,000 in fines for laser strikes in 2021. (Which seems like a lot, but with a maximum fine of $11,000 per violation, it's not that much.) It also notes that "violators can also face criminal penalties from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies."
Information about reporting laser strikes to the FAA is available on the administration's website.
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