NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — People pointing lasers at aircraft is a problem across the country, but it's especially bad in Tennessee, according to data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
FAA data shows that Tennessee has had 404 laser strikes on aircraft so far in 2024. A News 2 analysis of the nationwide numbers found the state had the third most strikes in the country in July 2024, behind California and Texas.
Lasers can turn safe, clear skies into a hazardous, high-stakes light show.
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"All of a sudden the cockpit can be illuminated very dramatically and it can be kind of a flashing, strobing sensation," Meredith Boardman, director of aerospace safety for Middle Tennessee State University's Department of Aerospace said.
MTSU's Department of Aerospace has reported six laser strikes so far this year. Boardman told News 2 that shining a laser at an aircraft can put pilots and their passengers in danger.
"At the very least [it's] a distraction, and of course, there are some more severe consequences too like actual harm to people's eyes," Boardman said. "Some people have actually been injured before by laser strikes."
Pilots have reported 313 injuries since the FAA began recording laser strike data in 2010.
At MTSU's Department of Aerospace, instructors teach student pilots how to respond to a laser strike using FAA guidance, which includes reporting the incident to law enforcement through an air traffic control facility.
Shining a laser at an aircraft is a federal crime that can result in up to $250,000 in fines and up to five years in prison.
Last year, the FAA received 13,304 reports of laser strikes from pilots, the most ever recorded, and a 41% increase over 2022.