While pointing lasers into an aircraft cockpit could eventually become a federal crime, the Federal Aviation Administration will start imposing civil penalties against offenders as a violation of federal aviation regulations.
The effects of shining bright lasers on an aircraft could create temporarily blindness for a pilot, which could endanger the lives and safety of passengers.
Chris Dancy, media relations director for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association said, “Illuminating an aircraft with a laser creates a significant safety-of-flight hazard. It puts the lives of the pilot(s) and passengers in jeopardy. It has the potential to create flash-blindness or actual damage to the eye at particularly critical phases of flight – take-off and landing – when the aircraft is low and slow, leaving little margin for error.”
Pointing a laser from the ground up could cost someone $11,000 – the maximum civil penalty the FAA can impose for such a violation. Legislation criminalizing incidents involving a laser device is currently pending in Congress.
Kelly Skyles, communications coordinator for the Association of Professional Flight Attendants said, “Pointing a laser directly at a crew member is a safety and security issue and does pose a danger to the safety of the flight as well as the cockpit crew members.
According to the FAA press release, this year alone pilots reported more than 1,100 incidents nationwide of lasers being pointed at aircraft. Reports have increased since a reporting system was set up in 2005 for pilots to report laser incidents – from nearly 300 in 2005 to 1,527 in 2009 and 2,836 in 2010.
The accessibility of inexpensive laser devises is reported to have contributed to the rise of laser incidents, including the identification of green lasers, which illuminates more light than red lasers.
“It is a direct and serious interference to the flight and a health hazard to crew members who encounter a laser in their eyes,” Skyles said. “Civil and criminal penalties within the confines of the law should be assessed to any individual who is caught pointing a laser toward an aircraft and potentially endangering lives.”
Some states have laws making it illegal for those who purposefully shine lasers into an aircraft cockpit, where people have been placed with federal charges.
