Inside New York’s Battle Against Laser Strikes on Airplanes

If you’ve ever glanced up at a plane soaring overhead and considered shining a laser at it, think again. This isn’t a harmless prank; it’s dangerous, illegal, and still a serious problem in New York State. The good news: reports are declining. The bad news: the numbers remain troublingly high.

Laser Strikes Decline for Second Year

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, pilots reported 10,994 laser strikes nationwide in 2025. That is a 14 percent drop from the previous year and the second straight year of decline. That’s progress worth noting.

Still, with thousands of planes in the sky each day, nearly 11,000 incidents are far from insignificant. Even a single laser aimed at a cockpit endangers lives.

READ MORE: The Ten Things You Should Avoid Wearing While Flying [GALLERY]

New York’s Statewide Laser Strike Ranking

New York ranked ninth in the country for reported laser strikes in 2025, with 369 incidents. For comparison, the top states were California with 1,309, Texas with 1,100, Florida with 654, Illinois with 620, Arizona with 574, Washington with 484, Tennessee with 431, Indiana with 370, and Virginia with 353.

So while New York isn’t at the top of the list, nearly 400 incidents in a single year is nothing to ignore.

Laser Strikes Pose Serious Risks to Pilots

You might wonder how much harm a small handheld laser can really cause. The answer: quite a lot. When a laser beam hits an aircraft cockpit, it can temporarily blind or disorient a pilot. At night, when visibility is already limited, that flash of bright light can be especially dangerous. Pilots often have hundreds of passengers on board.

Since the FAA began tracking laser strike reports in 2010, 337 pilot injuries have been reported. That means 337 times a flight crew member was hurt, simply because someone on the ground pointed a laser into the sky.

Federal and Local Penalties for Laser Strikes

Shining a laser at an aircraft is a federal offense. People caught doing it can face FAA fines of up to $11,000 per violation, federal criminal penalties of up to five years in prison, fines of up to $250,000, and additional state or local charges. That’s a steep price for what some might think is a joke.

How Authorities and the Public Are Responding

The FAA says the drop in reports is partly due to better pilot reporting and stronger coordination with local, state, and federal law enforcement. When pilots report incidents quickly and accurately, authorities can identify patterns and target areas where the problem occurs most often.

The FAA also encourages anyone who witnesses a laser strike to report it to both the FAA and local law enforcement. Detailed information about location and time can help prevent future incidents.

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Laser Strikes Remain a Threat in New York

Laser strikes are trending downward nationwide, which is encouraging. But with 369 incidents reported in New York in 2025 alone, it remains a pressing issue in our state.

Planes flying over our neighborhoods are carrying families, business travelers, and crews who are just trying to get everyone safely from point A to point B. Pointing a laser at them isn’t harmless fun; it’s dangerous, illegal, and completely avoidable. And when it comes to aviation safety, even one incident is too many.