Aircraft Laser Pointer Incidents Surge Despite Strict Penalties

The Federal Aviation Administration received 12,840 reports of individuals pointing lasers at aircraft in 2024.

American Airlines pilot captain Pete Gamble (L) and first officer John Konstanzer conduct a pre-flight check in the cockpit of a Boeing 737 Max jet in Grapevine, Texas, on Dec. 2, 2020. LM Otero/AP Photo

On a fair autumn evening on Nov. 20, 2022, civilian pilot Jonathon Fay was landing his two-seater plane at Arlington Airport in Washington state when a sudden flash of blue light blinded him.

“I had to figure out how to land the plane. If I had been flying an older aircraft without the instrument visual aids, I likely would not have survived,” Fay told a federal court in Seattle on Jan. 5, 2024.

“By the grace of God, I have no permanent vision loss.”

Two-and-a-half hours later, a second plane was targeted, a four-seater being flown by a student pilot. The flight instructor on the plane captured images of the laser light source that impaired the pilot’s vision.

Law enforcement later identified Christopher Harris from Snohomish County as the individual using the laser pointer.

Laser pointers, which once cost hundreds of dollars, can now be bought online for $6. The proliferation of these pointers has resulted in more low-flying aircraft being targeted, endangering the lives of pilots and their passengers.

The glare created by laser beams hitting cockpit windows can cause flash blindness, according to FBI supervisory special agent David Gates.

Harris was indicted on both offenses in February 2023 and sentenced to eight months in prison and three years of supervised release.

At the sentencing hearing in January 2024, U.S. District Court Judge Richard Jones admonished Harris for almost causing Fay’s death.

“He could have wound up in a fatal crash. There must be consequences for what you did,” the judge said, according to a sentencing document from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.

“This was not one poor decision. Both times, Mr. Harris’s actions were deliberate,” assistant U.S. attorney Jocelyn Cooney told the court.

As laser pointer incidents have increased, so have the FBI’s pursuit of the perpetrators, which has resulted in hefty fines, and in some cases, jail sentences.

In 2005, the FBI received fewer than 300 laser strike reports, Gates, who leads the FBI satellite office at Los Angeles International Airport, said in a report.

By 2010, that number had grown to 2,800.

In 2024, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) received 12,840 reports of individuals pointing lasers at aircraft.

“Shining a laser at an aircraft poses a serious safety threat and is a federal crime,” the FAA told The Epoch Times in an email.

“Lasers can incapacitate pilots, many of whom are flying airplanes with hundreds of passengers.”

Since 2010, when the FAA began tracking incidents, laser strikes have resulted in injuries to more than 325 pilots.

Competitive juices flow at the laser tag space within the FunZone 2.0. Craig Orsini/Smugglers' Notch Resort

Laser pointers were first commercially introduced in the 1980s and 1990s, initially featuring red lasers that cost hundreds of dollars. 

Over time, the selection has expanded to include green, blue, and purple lasers. Human eyes are most sensitive to green lasers, according to the Army Public Health Center.

“Laser strikes are a serious threat to the health of flight crews and the safety of their flight,” Capt. Jason Ambrosi, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, told The Epoch Times in an email. 

“The effect of a laser strike can cause temporary or permanent blindness in pilots, interrupting our ability to safely operate the aircraft, putting our passengers at risk, and possibly ending our careers,” Ambrosi said.

On Feb. 14, 2012, then-President Barack Obama signed the FAA Modernization and Reform Act, which makes it a federal crime to point a laser at an aircraft.

Offenders can face FAA fines of up to $11,000 for each violation, and $30,800 for multiple violations.

In addition to these fines, violators may also face federal criminal penalties, which can include up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

On March 11, a federal grand jury charged a man from Washington state for allegedly aiming a laser pointer at a Horizon Air plane that was flying from Seattle to Billings, Montana, on Sept. 21, 2024.

In February, a 27-year-old man from Colts Neck, New Jersey, was charged with aiming a laser at federal law enforcement aircraft three times in December 2024.

That same month, a man from Kalispell, Montana, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for aiming a laser pointer at a private aircraft multiple times in October 2024.

On Feb. 26, Glenwood Bringle, a 56-year-old man from Arizona, pleaded guilty to aiming a laser at Air Force planes on Oct. 5, 2021. He received a nine-day jail sentence in federal court.

Authorities said Bringle pointed a laser at two F-16 fighter jets during a training exercise near his home in Bagdad, Arizona.

In April 2022, a Philadelphia man was sentenced to one year in prison and fined $1,000 for shining a laser pointer into a police helicopter in June 2021.

As of now, there have been no recorded plane crashes linked to lasers.

In 2014, Airbus, a pan-European aerospace corporation, partnered with Lambda Guard to develop a special transparent film designed for airplane windows. This film protects pilots against bright laser lights, such as green lasers, which are frequently involved in incidents with aircraft.

Tracking Suspects

The FAA said that methods for tracking suspects include using onboard airplane sensors, infrared cameras, and ground-based systems, such as the Laser Airborne Strike System.

Additional methods consist of witness reports and cooperation with law enforcement.

The FAA said some people point lasers at aircraft without knowing how powerful the laser is, while others do it on purpose.

Air traffic control facilities promptly report laser-strike incidents to local law enforcement, allowing for immediate investigation.

“Local law enforcement can provide invaluable assistance to the FAA by identifying and interviewing potential witnesses, identifying suspects, and identifying and collecting evidence such as video or other visual evidence,” the FAA said.

Most laser strikes happen at night, the agency added, and they typically target aircraft flying at altitudes of 10,000 feet or lower.

In 2024, California reported the highest number of incidents of all states, with 1,489 cases, followed by Texas with 1,463, and Florida with 810.

Denver International Airport (DEN) officials said they’re concerned that lasers can distract pilots during takeoff and landing.

In addition, these incidents can increase the workload for air traffic controllers and flight crews, leading to operational delays.

“At DEN, our mitigation efforts do include coordinated reporting procedures between pilots, air traffic controllers, and local/federal law enforcement partners,” an airport spokeswoman told The Epoch Times.

The airport reported around 695,000 aircraft operations in 2024, with passenger numbers exceeding 82 million.

Denver airport officials said that enforcement remains highly challenging due to the difficulty in locating perpetrators.

FBI Supervisory Special Agent Melissa Ventresca—who leads the International Counterterrorism Squad at a satellite office in Austin, Texas, which also covers Austin-Bergstrom International Airport—warned that a laser strike could potentially result in “a mass casualty event.”

“If we can prevent one catastrophe, prevent one pilot from being blinded, that makes it worth it,” Ventresca said in an FBI report.