The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently investigating two laser strike incidents involving JetBlue planes near Boston Logan International Airport. These incidents occurred on Thursday morning, and the agency reported that the crews of JetBlue flights 494 and 972 experienced green laser illumination while landing at the airport.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported. However, it’s essential to note that pointing lasers at aircraft is not only a severe safety hazard but also a violation of federal law.
According to FlightAware, a flight tracking website, both flights were approaching the airport from the south over Norfolk County before turning north toward the runway. Flight 494 originated from Denver and landed at 5:50 a.m., while flight 972 arrived from San Jose and landed at 5:54 a.m on Sep. 21.
The FAA disclosed that it received 9,457 laser incident reports in 2022, a slight decrease from the record 9,723 reports in 2021. Since 2010, 287 pilots have reported injuries resulting from laser strikes. These incidents can temporarily blind or distract pilots, endangering everyone on board and on the ground.
Individuals caught shining lasers at aircraft may face fines of up to $11,000 per violation, along with potential criminal charges. The FAA strongly encourages witnesses of laser incidents to contact local law enforcement or call the FAA regional operations center at 1-844-359-6982.
At the time of reporting, JetBlue had not responded to requests for comments. The airline operates more than 100 daily flights from Boston to various destinations in the U.S., Caribbean, and Latin America.
Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, msn.com, abcnews.go.com, FAA.gov
