WASHINGTON - People who point powerful lasers at planes and helicopters - which can temporarily blind pilots - could face fines as high as $11,000 per violation, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday.
The FAA is using a new legal interpretation of existing regulations that prohibit interference with the operation of an aircraft to levy the fines, Randy Babbitt, the agency's administrator, said at a news conference.
Pilots have reported more than 1,100 such incidents in the U.S. so far this year, and officials said they are concerned that eventually there will be a crash.
The incidents have increased rapidly around the world over the past six years as online sales of new, powerful, handheld lasers have soared. In 2005, there were fewer than 300 such incidents reported in the U.S. Last year, there were 2,836. In some cases pilots have had to give control to a co-pilot because of vision loss.
People are also reading…
Los Angeles International Airport recorded 102 laser incidents, the most of any airport. Chicago's O'Hare International Airport was next with 98 reports.
The lasers are marketed as tools to point out stars at night. They are many times more powerful than the laser pointers typically used by lecturers.
"People think these things are toys. They are not toys. They can be very dangerous," Babbitt said.
The House and Senate have passed separate measures that would make knowingly pointing a laser at an aircraft a federal crime subject to up to five years in prison, but issues remain to be worked out.
Dozens of people have already been arrested under state and local laws. Most were fined, but at least one California man received a prison term.
On StarNet: If you want to know more about crime in Tucson, check out the StarNet Police Beat blog at go.azstarnet.com/policebeat
