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What Safety Issue Is at Such ‘Epidemic Levels’ the FBI Just Created a Task Force for It? Laser Pointers…

Oct. 8, 2012 8:34am Liz Klimas

The Federal Bureau of Investigation recently created a task force against a national security threat that has seen such an uptick in attacks, it could almost be considered an “epidemic.” The weapon: hand-held lasers.

FBI Creates Laser Strike Working Group National Initiative to Reduce Incidents of Laser Pointer Attacks on Aircraft

A new law makes shooting a laser pointer at aircraft punishable by up to five years in prison with a $11,000 fine. (Image: Wikimedia)

In a blog post, the FBI states that incidents of lasers being pointed at flying aircraft — a federal crime — are expected to reach 3,700 this year. In 2005, the FBI notes, there were 283 attacks. These numbers do not include those going unreported each year.

The FBI reports lasers being dangerous to pilots, passengers and those on the ground.

“I had temporary blindness. My eyes were burning. It caused disorientation, and it was distracting,” Captain Robert Hamilton with the Air Line Pilots Association said, according to the post, of a time when he was landing a plane and a laser was pointed at the aircraft.

The FBI created the Laser Strike Working Group National Initiative, a public-private partnership stemming from an idea began by the FBI’s Sacramento Division. Sacramento’s initiative resulted in a 75 percent reduction in takeoff and landing laser attacks out of the area’s international airport.

Here are the laws regarding laser pointers and aircraft (emphasis added):

Those who aim a laser pointer at an aircraft can be prosecuted under two federal statutes. A law put into effect this year makes pointing a laser at an aircraft a crime punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $11,000 per violation. Under a law already on the books, those who interfere with the operation of an aircraft can receive up to 20 years in prison and be fined $250,000.

The FBI blog points to this YouTube video showing a laser pointer being shot toward a helicopter, which ultimately led to an arrest of the perpetrator:

George Johnson, a supervisory federal air marshal and liaison officer with the FBI, said that the number of incidents in recent years has almost reached “epidemic levels.”

“Use a laser pointer for what it’s made for. Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft is dangerous and reckless. Just don’t do it,” Johnson said in on the FBI’s blog.

Featured image via Shutterstock.com.

(H/T: Gizmodo, GeekOSystem)

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Comments (68)

addie
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 2:17pm
Goggle photos of airplane and show me one where the cockpit is located on the bottom of the plane. If a person standing on earth points a laser pointer into the sky, they will hit the belly of the plane or side. How can they hit the top of the plane directly in order to “blind the pilot”? Its BS!

Copters are obviously a different animal and anyone who points a laser at a copter is an idiot (probably an obama voter) but it shouldnt be more of a criminal chanrge that sexual preditors!

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- KickinBack
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 3:09pm
  Read the article. The problem happens during takeoffs and landings, not at 35,000 ft. And it’s not just commercial airliners, but any type of aircraft. Try landing a Cessna at night with a kid shining a laser in your face and you’ll get the picture.
  
  Report this comment
- Mr. H.
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 3:32pm
  Those LASERs will go to 35,000 feet on a clear night! The light refracts through windows. You can get one into the cockpit of most any aircraft that is not directly overhead. The problem is extreme for over wing aircraft and small aircraft and ultra lights. This is the kind of abuse that will cause some idiot to try to ban them. Watching the arrest, it is nice to see the perp got caught.
  
  Report this comment
- Kaoscontrol
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 7:46pm
  I saw one of these blow up a whole planet on Star Wars…Imagine what it could do to a small plane! Better keep ‘em out of the hands of kids in Darth Vader costumes this Halloween.
  
  Report this comment
- CONDITION_ONE
  Posted on October 9, 2012 at 10:26pm
  If pilots can see the ground (we can) then they can see a laser. If that weren’t the case then airports are wasting a bunch of money keeping all those approach lights, beacons, and VASIs lit up.
  
  Report this comment
Rowgue
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 2:16pm
This sounds like a skit from SNL it’s so ridiculous on it’s face.

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blair152
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 1:51pm
My father was an airline pilot until he had open heart surgery in 1974 to have a pig valve put in his heart.
After that, the FAA pulled his certification. If he was alive today, if he was flying today, I bet he’d be wanting these laser pointers banned.

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grfd703
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 1:24pm
To all who are reading this story, please understand: They are NOT talking about your general purpose laser pointer used in classrooms and such. They are talking about lasers powerful enough to start clothing/paper on fire from significant distances. Just look up “Wicked Lasers” on google and you’ll begin to see the problem. They are selling these things to just anybody and that means that they are selling them to morons. These lasers have a visible beam in clear air for MILES. They cause eye damage in mere seconds. These things are no joke and the people using them to irritate pilots are either too stupid to realize the danger they’re creating or they are actually trying to disable the pilots. Either way, this is a crime. http://www.wickedlasers.com/arctic

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- addie
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 2:09pm
  They had to add a magnifying glass to pop the ballons. That would work with sunlight too, you dont need a laser pointer for that, just a magnifying glass and sunlight. I find it hard to believe a laser pointer will blind a pilot at 37,000 feet or that someone on the ground can actually hit a pilot in the eye when the cockpit is on the top of the plane are they saying people are bouncing thelaser off the moon back down on them? Lol.
  
  This is just yet another waste of time for FBI and people getting jail time when real criminals are freed!
  
  Report this comment
shofar
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 12:30pm
I’m disabled due to a life time of injuries and now illness brought on via my government service (civilian law enforcement and investigations), and I now have a service dog that alerts me to when I might start having tremors or mini-seizures. He’s an Aussie Shepard, and full of energy at the end of his work day. I can’t take him and run with him like I used to with my other dogs, so I now use a laser pointer in the back yard to get him exercise. He chases that little red light for 15-20 minutes, until he is gasping for breath, and then he can sleep through the night and stay in shape.

My yard has a 6 foot privacy fence, and is completely enclosed. But, due to my tremors the beam some times goes over the top of the fence. Am I going to be arrested if someone sees the beam shinning out pass the fence line?

I know this sounds silly, but having worked for years in the government, I am waiting for a knock on the door regarding my nightly routine with my dog. Maybe I just need to put a laser on the one of my .308 or .22 and say the heck with it.

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Gary_K
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 12:12pm
I have a laser pointer on a Sig.

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jungle J
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 11:35am
Almost as bad as led lights on vehiles in the rain.

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- jcldwl
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 12:02pm
  I couldn’t agree more. LED lights on vehicles should not be legal. They are overly bright and blinding whether coming at you or from behind in your mirrors. They are a safety hazard.
  
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anothercomment
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 11:23am
Yes, this is an important topic. ALPA has been reporting these incidents for at least 2 decades (laser colors were not the issue). And these commercial pilots were in midflight (large aircraft, load of passengers), which puts the laser device in flight, targeting the aircraft. Their reports went largely unnoticed. Now with the advent of the different uses of lasers, people feel it’s funny to point these things at flying crafts. This incident was a helicopter, lower altitude. These are not laser pointers used for project presentations, or lasers incorporated into handguns. These are more powerful and more sophisticated. The worst fear is having a laser pointed at pilot during flight, and there is no way to determine if it’s a choom head having a laugh, or an actual threat from a large weapon.

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PsychGen
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 11:11am
LASERs are used to ‘paint’ targets for LASER guided missiles and bombs. Ground forces or a drone identifies the ‘target’ and shines a LASER on it. Human eyes can’t see it but the instruments of the LASER guided hardware can.

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- BlackCrow
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 11:47am
  Different type of laser. Ordnance guidance lasers work in the infrared and are not visible to the eye in order not to give the “target” warning he is being targeted.
  
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Uechi
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:41am
So what’s next our illustrious Government will ban lasers to the public. Lots of lasers used on pistol and rifle scopes and range finders. These ah’s would lkie nothing better then to ban anything that might be used against them like perhaps guns? I do not trust anything the Government or any of its’ agencies says. Sad state of affairs. There was a time when I did.

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- DimmuBorgir
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 11:11am
  I’ll point a damn laser pointer at whatever the hell I want.
  
  Laws like this have nothing to do with maintaining a society. they’re just laws to have laws.
  
  Report this comment
- COFemale
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 12:06pm
  And I will be happy to turn your A$$ into authorities. Just point it at me and that would be the last time you point one at me bucko. Don’t mess with a Scorpio female.
  
  Report this comment
- Derfel Cadarn
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 12:41pm
  I haven’t had a single animal damaged by my laser sights. This is all BULL$H!T anything to grab more control. Pretty soon flashlights will be illegal because you might shine them in the policeman’s eyes while they are attacking your children and shooting your dog. Time for Americans to stand up and shout NO!!!
  
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SoCtNights
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:33am
I think we were just “inadvertently” told how to defeat the drones that will soon be above our heads.

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- littlebitflighty
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 12:06pm
  hummmm
  
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- COFemale
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 12:06pm
  They are unmanned. Who you gonna blind?
  
  Report this comment
- AnOregonian
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 4:11pm
  And a fantastic way to give up your position.
  
  Report this comment
Just Jake
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:13am
The above posts are an example of why there should be some moderators here. Some lasers are dangerous and can cause eye injury. Shining anything at the pilot of an aircraft is an outrageously stupid, and yes, criminal act. There actually are pilots who have been given permanent eye injuries by ********/terrorists shining lasers. I hope all readers and posters will note the idiots above and relegate them to the ignore pile.

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- SocialistSlayer
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:35am
  I’m just not buying than a simple hand held laser pointer that my children play with are dangerous at long distances. Yes, they are probably trying to ban laser sights on weapons because they pose a threat to their communist takeover of America. I think that it should be against the law to shine one at any ones eyes, pilots or otherwise – but ban them? That’s just plain Communism !
  
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- muffythetuffy
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:42am
  NOW LITTLE KIDS ARE THE ENEMY OF THE FBI
  
  It appeared to be either a midget or little kid. That LASER did not blind or harm anyone. LASERs will create a problem for armed drowns, drowns armed with rockets and bombs intended to be used against American citizens. These LASER are certified by the FCC to be harmless since they only emit less than .002 watts. Your Christmas light bulbs are 7 watts.
  
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- DimmuBorgir
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 11:12am
  Not only what he just said, but That’s some F’ing amazing aim to hit someone in the eye with a lazer at thousands of feet. and not only that, but keep it aimed perfectly while the pilot is flying hundres of mph’s. I call bull
  
  Report this comment
- cruffler78
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 11:16am
  Outlawing is not the answer any half witted fool could do something just as bad with basic tools, and sabotage a bus. The answer is real justice if you shine a laser and cause a plane crash you pay life for life .
  
  Report this comment
- Danmo
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 11:23am
  The above post (Just Jake) is an example of why a moderator is needed.
  Right, wouldn’t want anyone to exercise their freedom of speech. Better to just delete their
  comments altogether.
  Now that I have had my say, I will relegate your comment to the ignore pile.
  
  Report this comment
- COFemale
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 12:09pm
  Okay Socialist, let me shine one directly into your eyes. In fact, have your little kids shine one in your eyes, I dare you. You are an idiot if you do. Even shining a flashlight in your eyes can cause damage. Wise up.
  
  Report this comment
- Seadawg
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 4:31pm
  For starters I don’t own one of these stupid things, and I agree that’s pretty dangerous to point one in a pilot’s eye. I’m just curious though, are you guys equally peeved about some of the bad apple pilots dumping aluminum into the atmosphere. I mean isn’t that putting people in danger too? People playing God affecting our weather patterns and food supplies. I mean that’s putting far more than 3700 people in danger. Why isn’t that illegal too?
  
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- The_Pointy_End
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:02pm
  @socialistslayer
  I agree this is a back door way to outlaw laser sights on guns. Gov’t won’t stop with toy laser pointers it will outlaw ALL lasers including sights. Cass Sunstein is this your hand?
  
  Report this comment
scrapadapolis
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:03am
When I had a laser pointer and shined it on glass the beam was diffused it did not pass through the glass as a solid beam.So I find this story a fail.Not only that did you ever try to hold a laser steady?You can’t.I think the government wants to limit them is because rifle scope manufactures make mounts for standard laser pointers.

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- muffythetuffy
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:45am
  This story is a misinformation plant. The Government wants to ban this pointers because they can be used as LASER sights on guns that make the gun extremely accurate just like the guns the police use. Was this a staged event?
  
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- cruffler78
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 11:12am
  Laser difusion depends on many different things including but not limited too; power of the laser, angle of the laser to the glass, type of glass. There are many lasers on the market that can do permanant harm and they do not need to be focused on the target for long to do so, No the average supermarket laser will not do this but you dont have to look long to find one that does.
  
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- krazyolme
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 12:37pm
  MUFFY…I agree. Something to think about….Did you happen to notice the numbers of green lasers being pointed in the eyes of the military trying to regain control of the latest uprisings in Libya? You should get my point. OWS come to mind?
  
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myptofvu
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 9:55am
You need to be careful that laser might be attached to a spitwad or sumthin.

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bartjoebob
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 9:45am
First comes the manufactured problem, then the banned sale/possession, then only the gov’t will have the ability to aim lasers.

It is pretty stupid though if people are aiming lasers at aircraft. How is a pilot supposed to know that a laser is not mounted on something that could pose a threat?

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Gregory_Adams
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 9:43am
Did they need 15 cops for this?

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- NoNannyState4me
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 10:07am
  Heck yes, otherwise they may have to be out stopping real crimes.
  
  Report this comment
brotherwil
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 9:33am
this can’t be true…the number one threat to america is the muslim brotherhood and radical islam’s infiltration into the american government….get your heads out of the sand AND TASKFORCE THE PRESIDENT’S BUDDIES ..incompetent or complicit….which is it??? you are swatting flies while tigers freely roam the country…WAKE UP

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- 6thdegreeblack
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 11:26am
  I completely agree with with you except I would use “Jackals” in lieu of Tigers for a more accurate euphemism for the commies in our midst.
  
  D-B (eyes up)
  
  Report this comment
KMM
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 9:31am
Yeap, MORE regulation is exactly the way to handle this. I mean it couldn’t possibly make sense to ask the public nicely via news outlets, signs at airports, and the like. And we couldn’t just use the existing laws for those who blatantly do it. Nope, give us more of your freedoms citizen, so we can “protect” you. *sigh*

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JellyToast
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 9:14am
The other thing about this, if you were stupid enough to point it at a plane… what are the chances it would even hit the plane let alone the cockpit and then the pilot’s eyes? With a little hand held pointer? Seriously? It’s not like you could see the little tiny dot 20,000 feet below on the ground and be able to guide it right to the pilot’s eyes.Even a 50 feet away the dot disappears. They whole thing sounds ridiculous.

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- 6thdegreeblack
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 9:30am
  I would say that Captain Robert Hamilton’s duress was panic induced by gross stupidity..
  
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- TheLeftMadeMeRight
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 9:32am
  Not at 20k feet, but at 1500 feet on approach to landing, or at 1000 feet in the police copter, yea that’s a problem.
  
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6thdegreeblack
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 9:03am
Ah yea, this epidemic is such a croc o’ crapola. The vast majority of hand held lasers are of the <5 mW mili watt (NOT MEGA) variety and are using the eye safe wavelength of 633nm (red) Although the 532nm (green) lasers project a visible beam quite a distance, refraction and diffusion caused by moisture in the air significantly lowers the energy as to almost non existent at air traffic altitudes. Think of the crooked image you see when a hose is inserted into a swimming pool- water bends light significantly. Even more so, water molecules suspended in the atmosphere are random and of varying size, this causes the collimated light of these very low power lasers to scatter like a shower head diffuser. The Pilot in the article says he was blinded by one of these lasers? Yes right. Does anyone remember the ABL project? The advanced airborne laser project attempted to use a very high MEGAWATT class sodium laser to bring down ballistic missiles and even our best engineers were not that successful due to environmental instability in the atmosphere.

DEEP BOW (eyes up)

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- Welcome Black Carter
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 9:50am
  Well done Grasshopper.
  
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- COFemale
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 12:19pm
  Illumination by handheld green lasers is particularly serious, as the wavelength (532 nm) is near peak sensitivity of the dark-adapted eye and may appear to be 35 times brighter than a red laser of identical power output.[19]
  
  A high-powered green laser pointer bought over the Internet was reported in 2010 to have caused a decrease of visual acuity from 6/6 to 6/12; after two months acuity recovered to 6/6, but some retinal damage remained.[21][22] The US FDA issued a warning after two anecdotal reports it received of eye injury from laser pointers.[1]
  
  Hey idiot this is what Wikipedia says.
  
  Report this comment
- Rowgue
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 2:28pm
  Yes a laser pointed directly into your eye from five feet away for extended periods of time can cause damage. The problem with this fabricated “threat” is that nobody is pinpointing a laser in the eye of a pilot on a moving aircraft, not even for a fraction of a second. And having a laser pointed in your eye doesn’t create some mythical blinding flash of light. The only reason a laser can cause damage is because the people don’t even realize they’ve got it pointed at their eye, so they don’t react to it.
  
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- 6thdegreeblack
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 3:35pm
  @COFEMALE,
  Pardon, but it is you who are the idiot in several aspects.
  1) You list Wikipedia as a reference..FAIL
  2) Your knowledge of photonics is obviously only what you have read on Wikipedia. EPIC FAIL
  
  Try doing some real research sonny boy before flapping your gums and making a fool of yourself. Regardless of what you seem to think you know <5mW PEAK is not a powerful
  Laser. Yes, if you shine a 532nm diode pumped laser DIRECTLY in someones eye damage can occur. But that is not the subject here. The question is regarding the real danger to a pilot from one of these low power devices. They are driven by 3 volts (2xAAA batteries)
  So get a text book out and actually open it- Wikipedia is only for the Obama sheeple so they can read how great their leader is over and over again.
  
  DEEP BOW (eyes up)
  
  Report this comment
Wool-Free Vision
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 9:01am
Imma Firin’ mah Lazor!!!

http://youtu.be/fyuNidSrVik

also, shoop da whoop:
http://youtu.be/hSVNbxjdvv8

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critterbait
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 8:49am
HUH,,, what will they think of next ??? Well at least it wasnt a surface to air missle, well not yet anyway …

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ThoughtfulConservative
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 8:46am
No Comment…

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The_Jerk
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 8:43am
Whiners.

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Angel_light
Posted on October 8, 2012 at 8:41am
the only laser pointer I have is the one I use for my cat. It’s so fun to watch her chase it

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- loriann12
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 8:52am
  I know, right? My MIL’s dog loves it, too.
  
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- objectivetruth
  Posted on October 8, 2012 at 8:56am
  same here.What next all cat owners have to register them because some stupid may steal them and use them in this type crime?
  Look I won’t disagree that a powerful laser is a threat to aircraft.But a hand held one?Something is amiss about this.
  
  Report this comment

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