Washington, DC

Aircraft laser strikes continue to be dangerously high

Pilots made nearly 13K reports in 2024; the most in California, Texas, and Florida

Pilots reported 12,840 laser strikes to the Federal Aviation Administration last year. While that is a 3 percent decrease from 2023, the numbers are still too high.

Shining a laser at an aircraft poses a serious safety threat and is a federal crime. Lasers can incapacitate pilots, many of whom are flying airplanes with hundreds of passengers. Pilots have reported 328 injuries since the FAA began tracking laser strike reports in 2010.

In 2024, pilots reported the highest numbers of laser strikes in the states listed below:

California - 1,489
Texas - 1,463
Florida - 810
Tennessee - 649
Illinois - 622
Arizona - 550
New York - 531
Indiana - 512
Georgia - 416
Virginia - 415

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. Violators can also face federal criminal penalties of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, as well as state and local penalties.

To identify trends, the FAA’s visualization tool shows laser-strike data from 2010 to present and highlights trends by geographic area, per capita data, time of day and year. The FAA shares the information with the public to draw attention to the dangerously high rate.

The FAA strongly encourages people to report laser strikes to the FAA and local law enforcement agencies.