FAA Investigates After 3 Aircraft in Boston are Lit Up by Lasers

Federal aviation officials have opened an investigation after three reports of laser lights striking aircraft in Boston this week.

According to published reports, pilots in all three incidents on Thursday reported seeing a green laser pointed at them, NECN-TV in Boston reported.

In one instance, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew on a MH-60 Jayhawk reported being lit up by the laser while landing at a Boston hospital, while crews in two Jet Blue flights landing at Logan Airport also made similar reports, according to the reports.

No injuries were reported, according to the FAA.

Crews on the Jet Blue flights, which originated from Denver and San Jose, reported noticing the lights around 5:40 p.m. on Thursday.

The Coast Guard helicopter crew, which was on a training flight, made a similar report around 8 p.m. on Thursday night, according to WCVB-TV.

According to the station, the pilot radioed he had just been hit by a green laser beam.

“We just got lazed by an apartment building near Mass General,” the pilot said, according to WCVB-TV. “It was between TD Garden and Mass General ... off the off-ramp in that location.”

In a statement provided to MassLive, the FAA confirmed its investigation, and said the agency “is committed to maintaining the safest air transportation system in the world.”

Pilots — and the federal government — take the risks poised by laser strikes seriously.

“Let’s get this clear: These are not incidents, they’re attacks,” American Airlines Captain Dennis Tajer told NECN-TV.

In February, federal aviation regulators asked manufacturers to add a warning label to their packaging warning of the risk posed by pointing lasers into the sky.

“Lasers may seem like just a toy, office tool, or game for most, but they can incapacitate pilots putting thousands of passengers at risk every year. People need to be aware pointing a laser at an airplane is a federal crime,” acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen said in a statement.

According to the FAA, pilots reported 9,500 laser strikes to the agency in 2022, while 278 pilots since 2010 have reported an injury from a laser strike.

People who shine lasers at aircraft can face fines up to $11,000 per-incident, and up to $30,800 for multiple violations, regulators said. The agency slapped violators with $120,000 in fines in 2021.

“Aiming a laser at an aircraft is a serious safety hazard that puts everyone on the plane and on the ground below at risk. It is also a violation of federal law,” the FAA said in its statement.

The regulatory agency also said it “conducts outreach to educate the public about the hazards of lasers aimed at aircraft. The agency also works closely with other federal agencies and state and local governments to report and investigate incidents, help apprehend suspects, and advocate for the prosecution of offenders.”

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