CLEVELAND — During the Labor Day weekend, authorities say there were five instances where various aircraft were hit by lasers in Cleveland.
Officials with the FBI released the following information Thursday morning about each laser strike:
Laser strikes are investigated by local and federal law enforcement.
The main hazard for aviation, law enforcement officials say, is that pilots can be distracted or temporarily flashblinded by the light from a laser beam. The light often is a large light at aviation distances, unlike the tiny dot a laser makes at close range.
“Individuals often do not realize that traveling over hundreds of feet a tiny two-centimeter laser beam spreads to become approximately six feet of light that can block a pilot’s vision,” FBI officials said in a press release. “Most laser strike incidents reported occur at flights under 10,000 feet with the highest percentage being altitudes under 6,000 feet.”
The FBI and its law enforcement partners are asking that citizens be aware of the dangers of pointing a laser pointer towards an aircraft (commercial, private, helicopters, Life Flights, etc.). If anybody witnesses an individual pointing a laser at an aircraft they should report the occurrence to their local police department.
Anybody with information regarding the five weekend laser strikes is asked to call their local law enforcement agency or the Cleveland Division of the FBI at 216-522-1400. Tips can remain anonymous and reward money is available for the successful identification and prosecution of the individual(s) responsible for these laser strikes.