FBI CHICAGO WARNS OF RISING LASER STRIKES AGAINST AIRCRAFT AS FEDERAL AUTHORITIES PUSH ZERO-TOLERANCE ENFORCEMENT

CHICAGO — The FBI’s Chicago Field Office is warning the public that intentionally aiming lasers at aircraft can endanger pilots, passengers, emergency crews and people on the ground, as federal, state and local authorities respond to what the bureau describes as a significant increase in laser-strike incidents across the Chicagoland area during the past two years.

The FBI is working with law-enforcement agencies, regulators and prosecutors to identify offenders and pursue criminal cases involving lasers directed at helicopters, airplanes and other aircraft.

The warning applies to private, commercial and military aircraft as well as helicopters operated by law enforcement and emergency medical services.

According to the FBI, laser strikes can temporarily blind or disorient pilots during flight, potentially causing a fatal crash and placing pilots, passengers and people on the ground at risk.

The danger extends beyond the aircraft itself. A pilot who suddenly loses visual orientation or suffers temporary impairment can place passengers, crew members and people on the ground at risk.

The bureau emphasized the danger posed when lasers are directed at law-enforcement or medical helicopters responding to emergencies or transporting patients.

FBI Chicago said the increase in incidents over the past two years has prompted closer cooperation with prosecutors and partner agencies in an effort to identify suspects and move cases into the criminal justice system.

FBI Chicago Special Agent in Charge Ryan Whalen said the bureau has zero tolerance for people who unlawfully use lasers in ways that endanger aircraft and said federal investigators are working with partner agencies to ensure offenders are apprehended and held accountable under federal law.

Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly also warned that laser strikes create a direct safety threat to people aboard aircraft and on the ground.

Kelly pointed to a 2023 investigation in which Illinois State Police successfully made an arrest connected to an aircraft being targeted with a laser pointer, demonstrating that these incidents can be investigated even though identifying the source of a beam from the air can be difficult.

Federal law has specifically prohibited aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft or its flight path since 2012.

A violation can result in a federal felony prosecution carrying up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Separate from criminal prosecution, the Federal Aviation Administration can impose civil penalties of up to $11,000 for each incident involving a laser aimed at an aircraft.

Those penalties mean a single act can potentially trigger both criminal and regulatory consequences.

The law does not depend on whether the targeted aircraft is carrying paying passengers. Intentionally directing a laser toward a private aircraft, police helicopter, medical helicopter, military aircraft or commercial airliner can fall within the federal prohibition.

The FBI’s warning also reflects the difficulty pilots face when a laser enters the cockpit from the ground.

The broader public-safety concern is that laser strikes can interfere with aircraft that are actively serving communities.

Law-enforcement and medical helicopters may be responding to emergencies or transporting patients, while small planes and large commercial aircraft can also be placed at risk when lasers are directed toward them.

In each setting, directing a laser at the cockpit can introduce an unnecessary hazard into an already complex aviation environment.

The FBI and its partners are urging anyone who witnesses a person intentionally aiming a laser at an aircraft to report the activity to law enforcement.

Tips may be submitted anonymously.

Federal authorities are also making clear that laser strikes are not treated as harmless pranks. The conduct can trigger a felony investigation, substantial financial penalties and a federal prison sentence when prosecutors establish the required elements of the offense.

The October 9 warning from FBI Chicago reflects a broader effort to prevent these incidents before they result in a serious aviation emergency or fatal crash.

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