WASHINGTON — Dangerous laser strikes topped all previous records in 2023. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) received 13,304 reports from pilots last year, a 41 percent increase over 2022.
Shining a laser at an aircraft is a serious safety threat. Many types of high-powered lasers can incapacitate pilots, many of whom are flying airplanes with hundreds of passengers. Pilots have reported 313 injuries since the FAA began recording data on laser strikes in 2010.
