Laser hits on U.S. aircraft on the rise

UPI | Jan 29 2005

More than 30 incidents of laser beams targeting U.S. aircraft have been reported in the last month, the Washington Post reported Thursday.

According to federal authorities, there have been about 400 reported instances of hand-held lasers being aimed at aircraft since the early 1990s.

But the number of incidents is rising, partly because the battery-powered devices can be bought for as little as $5, and also because new green lasers have become more popular than red, as they travel much farther -- as far as two miles.

"You're in an airplane, you're on final approach and suddenly you can't see," said Dan Kidder, a spokesman for the National Air Transportation Association, a trade group. "You can't see your instruments. You can't see your runway. There's the potential for a major accident."

Jack Hess, acting assistant special agent in charge of counter-terrorism for the FBI, said the apparent increase in incidents in the last month might be caused by new reporting requirements in which pilots must report every laser encounter.

"There are more incidents being reported, but we're not sure if there are more incidents," Hess said.