TEXAS SECOND IN AIRCRAFT STRIKES

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that as of September 30, 2021, it had received 6,723 laser strike reports from pilots in the United States. This is very close to the 6,852 reports received in all of 2020. Of the reports in 2021, Texas reported 605 strikes, second only to California’s 1,167 reports.

Laser strikes on aircraft represent a significant and growing threat to public safety, with the number of reports more than doubling from 2,837 strikes in 2010. Intentionally aiming a laser at an aircraft poses a safety threat to pilots and violates federal law punishable by fines of up to $11,000 per incident. A laser beam can easily incapacitate a pilot flying an aircraft carrying hundreds of people with potentially catastrophic results. The well-known saying among the pilot community is “it’s only a matter of time” before a laser strike causes a tragedy.

The FAA works closely with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to pursue criminal and civil penalties against persons intentionally aiming a laser at an aircraft.