A laser can temporarily blind a pilot or cause serious eye injury. Pilots in the United States have reported 313 eye injuries since the FAA began keeping statistics on the subject in 2010.
Perpetrators face fines from the FAA of up to more than $30,000 for multiple incidents, in addition to potential federal and local criminal penalties. Most incidents occur at night, during takeoffs and landings in the U.S., the FAA said on its website on Wednesday. The number of incidents is an increase of 41% compared to the previous year and a record.