# Laser strikes can blind pilots during critical flight stages, risking lives

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/why-you-should-never-point-a-laser-pointer-at-any-aircraft/
- Published: 2026-10-31T13:15:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-31T13:33:16+00:00
- Original publisher: Engadget
- Original article: https://www.engadget.com/2301206/why-you-should-never-point-a-laser-pointer-at-any-aircraft/
- Topics: Gadgets

## Key points

- Lasers can cause flash blindness in pilots.
- Nearly 11,000 aircraft laser strikes were reported in 2025.
- US offenders face prison and substantial fines.

## Summary

Pointing a laser at an aircraft can temporarily impair a pilot’s vision during take-off or landing, putting passengers and crew at risk. The danger is heightened at night, when pilots’ pupils are dilated, and helicopters flying low over neighbourhoods are also vulnerable.

The US Federal Aviation Administration recorded nearly 11,000 laser strikes in 2025, down 14 per cent on the year before, and nearly 6,000 by the time the article was published in 2026. The offence has been a federal crime since 2012, carrying up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, with additional civil and state penalties possible. Recent convictions show that police and surveillance aircraft can trace beams to their source.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.