By DK McDonald – Mohave Valley Daily News
BULLHEAD CITY — An after-hours flight approaching Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport late Friday faced a serious safety risk due to taking laser hits to the cockpit.
The pilots of a Citation C560 reported that about 11:52 p.m., Friday Aug. 8, the aircraft’s cockpit took a continuous stream of laser strikes on approach to IFP, Laughlin/Bullhead’s International Air Transport Association code.
The business jet was carrying two passengers.
“(The pilot) said that the lasers were originating from about five miles from the airport southwest,” said Chad Osborn, line service supervisor at the airport. The barrage of hits began about 30 miles from the airport.
Shining a laser at an aircraft is a serious safety threat to pilots, their vision, and the sometimes hundreds of passengers that may be in the plane.
Many types of high-powered lasers can incapacitate pilots, including those who are flying airplanes with many passengers, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
LASERS
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A laser strike can cause pilot distraction, temporary flash blindness, glare, and afterimages, which can be particularly dangerous during takeoff, approach, and landing. Temporary flash blindness takes a few seconds to a few minutes to go away.
The agency reports 323 pilot injuries due to laser strikes since recordkeeping began in 2010. No pilot injuries have been reported in Arizona.
“With local special events having laser shows along with citizens who retaliate against aircraft, I feel compelled to educate the public on the dangers and the punishment of their mischief laser strikes against aircraft,” said James Scheller, IFP airport director.
As of July 10, the FAA has received reports of 5,176 laser incidents this year.
- Laser strikes topped all previous records in 2023, with 13,304 laser incidents — a 41% increase over laser incidents reported in 2022.
- In 2024, pilots reported 12,844 cases, a decrease of 3% from the previous year, but still “too high,” officials said.
- California had the most laser strikes (1,489), followed by Texas (1,463), Florida (810), Tennessee (649), and Illinois (622).
- Arizona ranked sixth in the nation in 2024, with 550 laser strikes reported across the state. Most were in the Phoenix metro area.
Pointing a laser at an aircraft has been a federal offense since 2012. Perpetrators risk FAA fines of up to $11,000 per violation and up to $30,800 for multiple incidents. Violators can also face criminal penalties from federal, state, and local law enforcement.
In all cases, laser strikes are reported and investigated, Scheller said.
“The first time I had a laser strike report at IFP, it came from a flight instructor who reported it coming from the casino boardwalk area,” he said.
In that case, casino security staff were educated to watch for signs of laser use, Scheller said. In this case, the pilots, who are required to report encounters with laser lights, completed a self-report of the incident on the FAA’s Laser Strike reporting link at faa.gov/aircraft/safety/report/laserinfo.
Members of the public who witness someone aiming a laser at an aircraft can report the incident and its details by sending an email to laserreports@faa.gov.
