FAA Releases Data Showing Trends in Dangerous Laser Strikes

Re:FAA Releases Data Showing Trends in Dangerous Laser Strikes by eatbitseveryday on Thursday September 02, 2021 @10:41AM (#28392650)

> Pilots reported 6,852 laser strikes to the FAA last year, up from 6,136 in 2019.

> People who shine lasers at aircraft face FAA fines of up to $11,000 per violation and up to $30,800 for multiple laser incidents.

> The FAA has issued $600,000 in fines since 2016, which includes $120,000 in 2021.

If everyone got a fine, and at 10% of the maximum first time offense fine ($1100), that’s only 100 people caught every year from pilots’ reports of nearly 7000 (a portion of which might be repeat violators).

Hard to catch people shining lasers?

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Re:FAA Releases Data Showing Trends in Dangerous Laser Strikes by edgedetector on Thursday September 02, 2021 @12:05PM (#28393785)

All the pilot has is an approximate location, which is then reported to the FAA (I assume). By the time the relevant authorities are dispatched, the person has most likely stowed the laser. There is not enough specific information (address, name, etc) to get a proper warrant, so the crime goes completely unpunished. The cases that do get punished are probably repeat or persistent offenders.

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Re:FAA Releases Data Showing Trends in Dangerous Laser Strikes by zardo on Thursday September 02, 2021 @02:03PM (#28395290)

> Hard to catch people shining lasers?

Unless they repeatedly do it from the same location.

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