Laser pointing at aircraft may result in $11,000 penalty

Laser pointing at aircraft may result in $11,000 penalty

2011-06-02 04:46:44 GMT+7 (ICT)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Wednesday announced that civil penalties will be imposed against people who point a laser into the cockpit of an aircraft.

According to a legal interpretation by the FAA, pointing a laser at an aircraft from the ground could seriously impair a pilot's vision and interfere with the flight crew's ability to safely handle its responsibilities while operating an aircraft, a violation of Federal Aviation Regulations.

As a result, the FAA can impose on an individual for violating the FAA's regulations that prohibit interfering with a flight crew with a maximum civil penalty of $11,000 per violation.

In the past, the FAA had taken enforcement action under this regulation against passengers physically on-board an aircraft who interfere with crewmembers.

Pilots have reported more than 1,100 incidents nationwide of lasers being pointed at aircraft during the current year.

Laser event reports have steadily increased since the FAA created a formal reporting system in 2005 to collect information from pilots. Reports rose from nearly 300 in 2005 to 1,527 in 2009 and 2,836 in 2010.

The FAA said increase in reports is likely due to a number of factors, including greater awareness and outreach to pilots to encourage reporting; the availability of inexpensive laser devices on the Internet; stronger power levels that enable lasers to hit aircraft at higher altitudes; and the introduction of green lasers, which are more easily seen than red lasers.

"Shining a laser into the cockpit of an aircraft is not a joke," said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. "These lasers can temporarily blind a pilot and make it impossible to safely land the aircraft, jeopardizing the safety of the passengers and people on the ground."

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-06-02