No injuries were reported after a pilot reported someone shined a green laser at his aircraft Monday near Whiteville.
The sheriff’s office said Myrtle Beach Air Traffic Control reported being struck by the laser while trying to land at Columbus County Airport around 9 p.m. The report said the laser appeared to originate around three miles from the airport, in the vicinity of Price Road or Farm Lane.
Deputies were dispatched to the area but did not find the source.
Aiming a laser at an aircraft is a federal crime. Lasers can cause eye damage to pilots or passengers, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA investigated 13,000 reports of laser “strikes” in 2023. Conviction of lasing an aircraft can bring fines of $11,000 per incident and jail time.
Green lasers are considered the most dangerous to pilots, since the human eye is more sensitive to the color green, according to the FAA.
Be the first to comment