Laser strikes against aircraft have been increasing. Graphics explain the danger.

Aim a handheld laser pointer at an aircraft in flight and you can blind or disorient its pilots and jeopardize the safety of the craft and everyone aboard. It’s a federal crime punishable by up to five years in prison.

The Federal Aviation Administration has reported an increase in laser strikes – laser pointers aimed at aircraft – in recent years, and 278 pilots have reported laser strike injuries since 2010. 

Pilots logged 9,457 laser strikes last year and a record 9,723 laser events in 2021. This year, 2,537 incidents have been reported as of March 31. 

No plane crashes have been reported from laser strikes, the FAA says. But airlines operate an average 45,000 flights a day in the U.S., and pilots and passengers could be vulnerable.

In early April, a Minnesota man was sentenced to two years in prison for aiming a laser at a Delta Air Lines jet in 2021, an act that prosecutors said disrupted the pilots’ efforts to land and put passengers in “incredible danger.”

What is a handheld laser used for?

Introduced in the 1990s, the small laser pointers that are used for business presentations, entertaining pets or pointing out stars might be the most familiar type for ordinary people. Affordable higher-powered laser pointers also are widely available online. 

And some people use the laser pointers on aircraft.

How lasers can affect pilots

If a laser hits the plexiglass windshield of an aircraft, the light “disperses even more” and can illuminate the whole cockpit, temporarily blinding pilots, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Officer Doug Reinholz said in an FBI video.

The majority of laser-pointing incidents occur at night, during takeoffs and landings. These are two most critical times for pilots, who have less time to react when they are close to the ground.

California has the most laser strikes

On average, flight crews have reported more than 5,000 encounters with lasers a year since 2010, according to FAA data on flights over the 50 states and U.S. territories.

Search for incidents near you

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How a laser strike incident is reported

The FAA monitors the growing number of unauthorized laser illumination incidents. Local authorities interview witnesses and gather evidence about the event, including videos or other visual evidence.

Here's an example of how an incident is reported:

Paying the price of a laser strike

The FDA rules that govern sales of high-powered lasers are for the seller, not the buyer. But buyers can face consequences for their actions. 

It’s a federal crime to aim a laser at aircraft. People who are caught face up to five years in prison as well as civil penalties. The FAA fines are up to $11,000 per violation and $30,800 for multiple laser incidents. The agency says that in 2021, it issued $120,000 in fines for laser incidents.

Recent laser strike cases in the news: 

• On April 7, 2023, a Minnesota man was sentenced to two years in prison for a laser strike on a Delta Air Lines jet.
• On April 7, 2022, a man in Philadelphia was sentenced to one year in jail and fined $1,000 for aiming a laser at a police helicopter that was on a regular nightly patrol.
• On April 19, 2022, a man in Michigan City, Mississippi, was sentenced to three years' probation for shining a laser 49 times at aircraft, mainly FedEx planes, arriving at Memphis International Airport over a period of months in 2021. 

CONTRIBUTING Dian Zhang, USA TODAY; The Associated Press