Aircraft Report Thousands of Incidents in 2024, Led by California, Texas

Despite years of warnings, fines, and arrests, people just can’t seem to resist the urge to shine lasers at aircraft. In 2024 alone, pilots reported 12,840 laser strikes to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). While that number represents a 3% decline from 2023, it is still far too high for comfort.

For those blissfully unaware, pointing a laser at an aircraft is not just dumb—it’s a federal crime. Pilots can be temporarily blinded by the beam, potentially endangering hundreds of passengers. Since the FAA began tracking these incidents in 2010, 328 pilots have reported injuries from laser strikes.

The problem is particularly brutal in California with 1,489 reports, Texas with 1,463, and Florida with 810. Other states with high numbers include Tennessee, Illinois, Arizona, and New York. Indiana, Georgia, and Virginia round out the top ten.

The FAA does not take this situation lightly, issuing fines up to $11,000 per violation and up to $30,800 for repeat offenders. Criminal penalties are even steeper—up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Take, for example, Jesse Torres-Alonso, a 35-year-old who thought it would be a good idea to aim a laser at Kern County’s Air One helicopter… twelve times in a row. His efforts were so effective that law enforcement tracked the beam back to him and his laser pointer, pinning him with up to five years in prison and a hefty fine, all for a stunt that gained him nothing but legal trouble.

Then there’s James Pedone of Colts Neck, New Jersey, who decided to aim his laser at what he thought was a drone but was instead a federal law enforcement helicopter. The pilots quickly identified his location, and within half an hour, police were at his door. Pedone kept up a front of innocence initially before, a week later, he admitted to firing the laser “once or twice” and even confessed to throwing it away once he realized he had been caught. Like Torres-Alonso, he’s looking at up to five years behind bars and a six-figure fine.

The FAA continues to track and publish laser strike data, making it clear that this is not an issue that will simply go away on its own, as much as we wish it would.

FMI: www.faa.gov