The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is pursuing stiffer penalties for people who purposefully point lasers at aircraft.
Shining a laser at an airplane is not a laughing matter. Its dangerous for both pilots and passengers, and we will not tolerate it, said U.S. transportation secretary Ray LaHood. We will pursue the toughest penalties against anyone caught putting the safety of the flying public at risk.
Laser incident reports have increased steadily since the FAA created a formal reporting system in 2005. Last year, the number of reported incidents in the U.S. rose to 3,592 from 2,836 in 2010. In many cases, pilots have reported temporary blindness or had to take evasive measures to avoid the intense beam of light. The maximum penalty for one laser strike is $11,000, but the FAA has proposed additional civil penalties against people caught repeatedly shining lasers at aircraft, with $30,800 being the highest to date.
We will continue to fine people who do this, and we applaud our colleagues at the Justice Department who have aggressively prosecuted laser incidents under a new law that makes this a specific federal crime, said FAA acting administrator Michael Huerta. Since June 2011, the FAA has initiated enforcement action against 28 people charged with aiming a laser device at an aircraft, and has opened investigations in dozens of additional cases.
The guidance for FAA investigators and attorneys directs moderately high civil penalties for inadvertent violations, but maximum penalties for deliberate violations. Pilots or mechanics that are caught shining lasers at aircraft face revocation of their FAA certificates, as well as civil penalties.
