Tragedy waiting to happen: Arizona sees spike in insidious and potentially lethal crime against pilots

Phoenix, Arizona: If all you though pilots had to fear was bad weather and little green men then think again. Over the last few years the number of laser strikes targeting aircraft has seen a marked increase. And by 'laser' we don't mean Cold War Star Wars brinkmanship, but gadgets far mor ubiquitous and sinister. The strikes are putting pilots and passengers at significant risk.

Pilot Tim Brennan, has been flying for 13 years and has firsthand experience with these dangers. In an interview with 3TV Brennan recalls at least 10 instances where his aircraft was hit by a laser while he was in the cockpit. "There have been a few times where I've actually had to leave the area because the laser strikes were so consistent," he said. "A laser to the face can cause us to lose control or impair our vision, which puts the entire crew at risk."

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reports that Arizona saw 429 laser strike incidents last year alone. This year, by July, the state had already recorded 337 incidents, putting it on pace to exceed 575 by the end of the year.

"What makes you really upset," Brennan told 3TV, "is when you're in the middle of flying an aircraft, especially a helicopter, and you have other people on board that you're responsible for. The safety impact is just tremendous."

Laser strikes often occur at night, with individuals able to hit a pilot’s eyes from miles away. Pilots typically wear night vision goggles, which can exacerbate the effect of a laser strike, making the visual disturbance look like fireworks going off in their vision.

Unfortunately, Brennan expects the number of incidents to keep rising as more people move to the Valley and laser pointers become more readily available. Even low-end lasers can be seen from miles away, and as technology improves, the potential for harm increases.