The Federal Aviation Administration will begin imposing fines of up to $11,000 on people who point lasers into an aircraft cockpit.
Announced Wednesday, the fines are a new approach to combating the laser events, which have grown in the United States from about 300 in 2005 to 2,836 last year.
“Lasers can temporarily blind a pilot and make it impossible to land safely, jeopardizing the safety of passengers and also people on the ground,” FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said.
Laser experts say the green beam, when aimed into the sky, may appear from the ground to end, but the light continues and spreads out at aircraft height. One Denver incident in January occurred at 13,000 feet.
Denver International Airport ranks 10th nationally for the number of laser incidents that have occurred in 2011. So far this year, there have been 18. There were 38 last year at DIA, up from 32 in 2009, 22 in 2008 and fewer than 10 in both 2007 and 2006.
Colorado Springs Airport has reported two laser incidents this year, seven in 2010 and six in both 2009 and 2008.
Dallas-Fort Worth ranks the highest for laser incidents so far this year, followed by Phoenix, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Houston, Tucson, San Diego, Chicago O’Hare and Miami.
The FAA fines are civil penalties. Offenders also are subject to prosecution and jail time. Pointing a laser at an aircraft is a felony and is punishable by a fine and up to 20 years in prison.
Ann Schrader: 303-954-1967 or aschrader@denverpost.com
