蜜柚直播

Military, commercial, medical, law enforcement and civilian pilots reported 54 laser strikes in the 蜜柚直播-area to the Federal Aviation Administration, a significant increase over 2012. (See 鈥楧angerous lights,鈥� A4)

蜜柚直播 had the fourth highest number of laser incidents involving aircraft last year of all states, FAA reports show. The Phoenix area accounted for 122 reports, the fourth highest city/region in the country.

Candy-bar-sized laser pointers can be bought at retail stores, online or at swap meets for as little as $20. But the risk they pose is grave and the results of pointing them at an aircraft could be disastrous, said pilots with the 蜜柚直播 Police Department and the Pima County Sheriff鈥檚 Department air units.

鈥淎 person with a handheld laser has the ability to down an aircraft,鈥� said pilot Chris Potter, 46, of the police air unit. He lives with a permanent eye injury from a laser strike.

鈥淲hen pilots lose their eyesight when in control of an aircraft, it is like driving down a winding, dark country road and someone blinds you with a flashlight,鈥� Potter said.

The veteran pilot was temporarily blinded three years ago when he was flying a police helicopter about 400 feet off the ground back to the unit鈥檚 hangar near the 蜜柚直播 International Airport.

鈥淎 strong, pulsating green laser entered my right window and struck me multiple times in the right eye. I immediately lost vision in that eye,鈥� Potter said. 鈥淎ll I could see was white stars, and my eye began to water.鈥�

Potter diverted the helicopter from the laser beam and began communicating with officers on the ground about the location the strike came from before he returned to the hangar. The person who injured Potter was never caught.

鈥淢y right eye is permanently damaged. The laser burned my eye,鈥� Potter said. He now sees through what he described as a 鈥渇uzzy line,鈥� which has not prevented him from flying. 鈥淚 have been blessed with 20/15 vision. I still have uncorrected vision,鈥� he said.

FAA records on last year鈥檚 laser incidents show no injuries were reported in the 蜜柚直播 cases. Local pilots said they knew of no other permanent eye injury, only Potter鈥檚, caused by lasers aimed at aircraft over the 蜜柚直播 area.

light spreads

Most people who shine lasers at aircraft don’t realize the light from the device spreads out as it travels, bathing cockpits in bright light that temporarily blocks a pilot’s vision, says the website . The light can damage eyes, but the website says most reported incidents do not result in injuries.

The website, which advocates for safe, legal uses of all types of lasers, says that in reviewing cases nationally, most people convicted of endangering an aircraft with a laser said they were just playing with the device and didn鈥檛 think the light it emitted was strong enough to reach an aircraft.

TPD鈥檚 air unit received national recognition in July from the Airborne Law Enforcement Association for educating the public about laser strikes, and for its efforts to pass a state law making it a misdemeanor to aim a laser light at an occupied aircraft.

Officers will work in the next legislative session to upgrade the crime to a felony, said Sgt. Gary Arnold of the TPD air unit. He said that was the original intention, but lawmakers watered down the bill before passing it in May.

Suspects can also be charged with federal crimes. A federal law passed in 2012 makes shining a laser at an aircraft a crime punishable by up to five years in prison. FBI Agent Brian Nowak said suspects can now face federal and state charges, along with a civil penalty of up to $11,000 from the FAA.

Whether a person is charged in federal or in state court depends on evidence and the discretion of prosecutors. Juveniles, for example, will not be prosecuted in federal court, but the youth鈥檚 parents could face a civil fine from the FAA, Nowak said.

knowing the risk

Last year, there were three federal court convictions in 蜜柚直播 regarding laser strikes at aircraft. Nowak said he is working on several cases, including University of 蜜柚直播-area incidents, but declined to elaborate.

TPD鈥檚 air unit has discussed the risks of lasers with the UA Police Department, which has educated students about the dangers to pilots through bulletins and emails.

Pilots from 蜜柚直播 Police and the Sheriff鈥檚 Department鈥檚 air units said the UA area is troublesome because of the amount of laser incidents that originate from there.

UAPD Sgt. Filbert Barrera said a laser was used inside McKale Center several years ago, and at the football stadium.

鈥淭hey point it at the players. It can damage a player鈥檚 eye, and disrupt the game,鈥� Barrera said. The suspects were not found.

Pilots face laser incidents across the 蜜柚直播 area 鈥渙n a regular basis,鈥� said Deputy Christopher Janes, a pilot with the Sheriff鈥檚 Department. Last year, the department released video of its plane being hit by a laser light on the northwest side.

鈥淢ost laser strikes happen at landing and takeoff with respect to airliner and military flights, while law enforcement aircraft get hit while on patrol. Medical helicopters are hit when they are about to land at a hospital or are flying to a scene,鈥� Janes said.

Local pilots attend meetings to stay aware of strikes that occur in the region鈥檚 air space, and TPD鈥檚 Arnold said a website is under construction to document incidents from hand-held lasers.

Clear flying weather year-round is one reason 蜜柚直播 and Phoenix rank so high in the number of incidents, he said.

蜜柚直播 last year reported more incidents than many other major airports across the country.

says the nationwide increase last year in cases — after a year where the number dropped — could be a result of better reporting and tracking of aircraft incidents. But that it also shows the increase in prosecutions and media attention is doing little to reduce the number of incidents.

more than a toy

Hand-held lasers originally were used by astronomers and stargazers to point out stars and constellations, or to make work presentations. Now they are often purchased as toys.

In the United States, a legal laser pointer is 5 milliwatts or under, which can still startle and cause potential eye damage to a pilot.

However, high-powered lasers can be purchased online from foreign countries, such as China, where milliwatts are unregulated.

High-powered lasers can cost up to $500, and can cut through wood.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is currently considering a ban on the sale to the general public of portable or handheld lasers over 5 milliwatts. A final decision on the proposal has not been made.

鈥淪omething bad will eventually happen鈥� if laser use is not curtailed, Arnold said. 鈥淎nd we want to stop it before it does.鈥�