Federal Aviation Administration claimed that laser beams struck three helicopters in New York and three planes near Dallas Wednesday, Nov.11. According to the helicopter pilots, they saw laser beams on their cockpits while flying over Park Slope in Brooklyn.
Though no reports of fatality nor injuries were reported, pilots said that such incidents are common. Not only that they are very distracting but can lead to serious dangers.
"When it's nighttime, the lights in the cockpit are dim. We're trying to focus on exterior visual cues, which is the approach lights, the runway lights. And, instead, we are being blinded by this huge green light that's being shown in our cockpits," the pilot said.
NYPD sent a helicopter to further investigate but it too was 'victimized' by the laser beam. According to reporter Dennis Protsko, who was in the aircraft at that time, the laser beam can cause temporary blindness if directly hit in the eyes.
Police traced the origin of the laser beam on the rear of a Brooklyn building and arrested two suspects.
Ossieo Silva, 20, was charged with two counts of reckless endangerment, one felony, and one misdemeanor.
The two men were caught by the chopper's camera outside the Energy Fuel Clinton Hotel laughing with one of them holding and pointing the green laser light at the aircraft.
Another three planes also reported the same incident.
FAA spokesperson Lynn Lunsford sated that all three planes were flying at an altitude of 3,000 to 4,000 and were bound to Dallas Love Field when the incident happened.
A plane from Southwest Airlines, Virgin America and a private jet reportedly were hit by the beam.
The Southwest Airlines and Virgin America flights were both from Austin. A police helicopter was sent to investigate and put into custody the perpetrator behind the incident.
According to the police, the laser beam came from 11 miles southeast of Dallas.
A helicopter was sent to investigate but no one has been arrested yet.
"Lasing" or the use of laser pointers to distract pilots had increased since 2005. FAA said that it received over 5,148 reports of "lasing" from January 1 to October 9.
The FBI launched a campaign last year to discourage citizens to use lasers at planes.
In 2012, pointing laser beams to an aircraft had been considered a federal crime.
