As Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reports, "Shining a laser into the cockpit of an aircraft is a serious safety risk and violates federal law." The agency's data shows that incidents have increased from 300 reports in 2005 to 2,836 incidents reported in 2010.
To make reporting these incidents easier and more effective, FAA created its new Laser Incident and Reporting website for pilots and the public. The site provides links for reporting incidents, statistics of the problem and research on the dangers this can pose on pilots. FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt, who also is a former commercial airline pilot, says, ". . . I can tell you that shining a laser into the cockpit of an aircraft is a serious safety risk. Lasers can distract or temporarily blind pilots who are trying to fly safely to their destinations and could compromise the safety of hundreds of passengers."
A Blog From the American Society of Safety Engineers
