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FAA Reports Laser Strike Incidents Increased in 2019

Cheap but powerful laser pointers can be dangerous to flight crews. Airman Shawna L. Keyes/USAF
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently released an annual summary of reported laser strike incidents in 2019 showing there were 6,136 reports of people on the ground shining easily-obtained laser pointers at aircraft. According to the FAA, the availability of inexpensive laser devices for sale in stores and online is contributing to the problem, with lasers having stronger power levels giving lawbreakers the ability to hit aircraft at higher altitudes. Many of the reports were green-colored lasers, which are more visible to the human eye than red lasers.

Dan Pimentel

Dan Pimentel is an instrument-rated private pilot and former airplane owner who has been flying since 1996. As an aviation journalist and photographer, he has covered all aspects of the general and business aviation communities for a long list of major aviation magazines, newspapers and websites. He has never met a flying machine that he didn’t like, and has written about his love of aviation for years on his Airplanista blog. For 10 years until 2019, he hosted the popular ‘Oshbash’ social media meetup events at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.

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