Shining a laser at an aircraft is a serious safety threat\nthat continues to rise. As of Oct. 14, the Federal Aviation Administration\n(FAA) has received 7,186 laser strike reports for 2021, exceeding the 2020\ntotal of 6,852. This marks the highest number or reports since 2016.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many types of high-powered lasers can completely\nincapacitate pilots, many of whom are flying airplanes with hundreds of\npassengers. People who shine lasers at aircraft face FAA fines of up to $11,000\nper violation and up to $30,800 for multiple laser incidents. The FAA has\nissued $120,000 in fines for laser strikes during 2021. Violators can also face\ncriminal penalties from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPointing a laser at an aircraft can temporarily blind a\npilot and not only affects the crew, but also endangers passengers,\u201d said FAA\nAdministrator Steve Dickson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To identify laser strike trends, the FAA developed a visualization tool, using the Tableau<\/a> software platform that shows laser strike data from 2010 to 2020 and highlights trends by geographic area, per capita data, time of day and year. The FAA shares the information to draw attention to the dangerously high rate of laser strikes on airplanes. Laser report data by year<\/a> can be downloaded on the FAA\u2019s website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n