Three flight crews reported green laser strikes near Boston Logan airport on Monday, according to the FAA.
The crews of United Airlines Flight 2356, Southwest Airlines Flight 559 and Republic Airways Flight 4580 reported being illuminated by a green laser in the area of Boston Logan International Airport on Monday evening.
“No injuries were reported,” the FAA said in a statement. “The FAA notified local authorities and will investigate.”
The United flight was arriving from San Francisco, the Southwest flight was heading to Nashville, and the Republic flight was leaving for JFK, according to FlightAware.
Shining a laser at a plane poses a serious safety threat, and is a federal crime. Lasers can incapacitate pilots while they fly airplanes with hundreds of passengers.
Pilots reported 12,840 laser strikes to the Federal Aviation Administration last year — compared to 13,304 laser strikes in 2023.
“Aiming a laser at an aircraft is against the law and creates a serious safety hazard that puts everyone on the plane and those on the ground below at risk,” the FAA’s Kevin Morris said in a video.
“A laser strike can temporarily blind a pilot or cause severe eye injury, and the FAA takes this threat very seriously,” Morris added. “Laser strikes remain consistently high, which is why the FAA is continuing to raise awareness about the misuse of lasers.”
The FAA’s laser strike investigations have found various reasons why people shine lasers at aircraft. These range from a person who does not know how powerful the laser is to people who do it intentionally.
People who shine lasers at aircraft face FAA fines of up to $32,000. Violators can also face federal criminal penalties of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
“Bottom line: lasers and aircraft do not mix,” Morris said. “If you have a laser, please use it responsibly and never point your laser at an aircraft.”
FAA air traffic control facilities relay pilot laser-strike reports to the appropriate local law enforcement agency to investigate.
The FAA urges people to report laser strikes to the FAA and local law enforcement agencies.
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