28 Aircraft Hit In Weeks, But No Culprit Identified

Seattle is having a laser problem, according to a joint effort by the FAA and the Port of Seattle Police in their efforts to find just who's responsible for so many strikes on aircraft operating out of Seattle Tacoma Airport. 

The rash of laser strikes began in late January, when four flights each reported contact with their cockpit windows and a high-intensity green laser beam. Since then, the incidents continue to pile up, with little evidence that those responsible are being found. Flights from Delta, American, Skywest, Volaris, Jorizon, Jetblue, and Alaska have all had run-ins with the laser at altitudes varying as high as 5,000 feet. The wielder's aim, if not stabilized by some kind of tripod, is fairly accurate for a handheld, as flights up to 8 miles away have reported contact. Luckily, no injuries have been reported so far, and all flights have landed without incident. The King County Sheriff's Office has not placed additional resources into patrol for the disruption, but has told its officers and locals to be on the lookout for lasers.

Laser strikes can have a debilitating effect on pilots in the most critical phases of flight, but outside the profession, non-aviators can have a somewhat lackadaisical attitude towards the danger of eye contact. Some remember the early days of cheap dollar store laser pointers and their constant warnings about avoiding contact with retinas, but by and large those advisories seem to have embedded themselves in the younger generations as mere advisories and not indicators of serious bodily harm. The situation isn't helped by the fun of online shopping advertising nifty new lasers in a constant arms race to outperform each other, made even worse by the inclusion of multiple large signs warning against shining them in the direction of aircraft. The speed at which those responsible can go to ground makes law enforcement uncomfortably reliant upon their self-incrimination in many ways, hoping that they are shining their laser from an open, publicly visible area. At best, an active police response and enough exposure that they can be triangulated can often do the job, but the downtown Seattle beat apparently can't spare the legwork. 

No rewards have been posted for arrests, but the FAA has stressed that multiple laser incidents can be penalized with fines up to $30,800. Over 2021, they issued more than $120,000 in fines for laser strikes, but the numbers have continued to rise. 

FMI: www.faa.gov