FBI warns laser strikes on planes rising in El Paso, puts pilots & passengers in danger
EL PASO, Texas -- Laser pointers usually used in business meetings or for presentations are now causing distractions for pilots as people in increasing numbers are pointing them up to the sky.
This spells trouble for the pilots taking off and landing planes at El Paso International Airport.
According to the FBI, this has been an issue for a number of years but has become more dangerous in recent times.
El Paso FBI Special Agent Jeanette Harper said that in 2020 El Paso International had 123 such incidents reported, and so far in 2021 there have been 82.
Harper said she expects that by the end of the year that number of incidents will exceed what occurred in 2020.
She explained that it is not just commercial airlines, but also law enforcement and search and rescue aircraft that are experiencing these distractions.
She said most of the reports they receive are from aircraft at lower altitudes, like when they are coming in from landing or taking off.
“To a lot of individuals a laser is cheap, they think it's a fun game when they’re out at night and they think they need to shine it up in the air, they don't realize that they're putting passengers on the plane in jeopardy, “ said Harper.
Harper said pointing a laser toward a plane is considered a federal violation and can result in up to $250,000 in fines and/or five years in jail for a single incident.
“It's a danger to the actual pilots, but if they are affected and injured then it leads to an injury to the 20 to 180 people on the plane,'' said Harper.
M.D. Aviation Medical Examiner and pilot Pedro Blandron emphasized the impact of a pilot getting blinded by a laser.
“Your eye is used to the dark, your pupil is open so you can receive as much light as possible inside the retina, imagine you suddenly see a flash from a laser, it's like being blinded by a flashlight when you have a photo taken,” explained Blandron.
He said depending on the strength of the laser it can reach up to 10 miles away.
“You have to be aware that this is an innocent tool, but it can be dangerous,” said Blandron.
Harper added that it is difficult to investigate laser pointing cases because they rely on pilot reports, but typically pilots can only give a general location of where the laser was shining from.
She asked the public to report incidents of lasers being pointed at planes by calling the FBI at 915-832-5000 or going online to tips.fbi.gov and submitting anonymous tips through the website.
“This problem affects the entire community and individuals we may not even know, they might just be stopping through El Paso on their way to Phoenix or Dallas or east or west coasts - so this affects everyone,” said Harper.
