Data released by the Federal Aviation Administration shows Florida has the third-most laser strikes against airplanes in 2021.
As of Sept. 30, there have been 434 laser strikes against airplanes in Florida.
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Below is a list of the top ten states with laser strikes against airplanes in 2021:
- California - 1,167
- Texas - 605
- Florida - 434
- Tennessee - 377
- Indiana - 306
- Washington - 296
- Illinois - 263
- Utah - 203
- Georgia - 202
- Colorado -187
Embry Riddle assistant professor Bob Thomas said the incidents are not new to pilots.
“Laser incidents have been really a problem with aviation going back at least a decade,” Thomas said.
He said most laser pointing incidents occur at night as planes are taking off or landing.
“The laser goes into the pilot’s eyes, you could actually cause blindness because they are very high-powered lasers,” he said.
The numbers released by the FAA show Central Florida is a target. Forty-five laser strikes have been reported in Orlando, 27 in Melbourne and eight in Daytona Beach.
The potential threat of laser strikes leaves pilots with less reaction time when they are close to the ground.
“In Central Florida, it is a busy airspace, just like Daytona for example, is one of the top 20 busiest airports in the country,” Thomas said.
The FAA reports those who are caught shining lasers at airplanes could face penalties. Violators could face a fine of up to $11,000 per violation and up to $30,800 for multiple laser incidents.
“There is some searching going on to find these people to make sure they don’t do it again, but at the same time you are talking [about] an airplane flying over, maybe shining a laser at the airplane for I’d say less than a minute, so it’s really hard to track these things down,” Thomas said.