HOUSTON — Audio from Hobby Airport's air traffic control gives a glimpse of what happened when a green laser was pointed in the cockpits of at least three aircrafts Thursday night, including a police helicopter.
"Just to give you a heads up, east of downtown, aircraft reported a green laser in the cockpit. 8,000 feet.
According to audio from liveatc.net, the first report, from the pilot of a single-engine Cessna, came in just after 8:30 p.m. Then the pilot of a Southwest plane heading to Hobby reported a green laser at 8:45 p.m.
Minutes later, Houston police launched its helicopter to investigate.
"While they were checking the area, they were also struck with a laser," Lt. Crowson with the Houston Police Department said.
The FAA said laser strikes can temporarily blind a pilot, jeopardizing the safety of everyone on board. The situation is so dangerous that the agency has launched a campaign urging people to "Lose the Laser."
Laser strikes are trending up. About 115 reports of laser strikes were made by Houston pilots in 2019. The total cropped up to 120 in 2020. And by the FAA's count, there have already been 153 laser incidents in Houston this year.
Houston police found the man they suspect was pointing a laser at aircrafts Thursday night. He has not been charged with the laser incident just yet but was arrested for three outstanding felony warrants, including aggravated and sexual assault.
The FBI is investigating to see if federal charges are warranted in this case.
Pointing a laser at an aircraft is a federal crime and if convicted, a person could spend up to five years in prison and would have to pay a hefty fine.