Published January 13, 2015
The captain of an American Airlines (search) jet reported a laser beam penetrated the cockpit as the plane prepared to land at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
The pilot was examined after Sunday night's incident and doctors found no permanent damage to his eyes. His first officer was flying the plane, which landed safely.
The bright lasers — usually green — can temporarily blind pilots.
The jet was on approach to DFW on a flight from San Antonio when the pilot noted the laser beam (search) for a second or two, Gregg Overman, a member of the Allied Pilots Association, told television station KXAS on Tuesday.
An American Airlines spokesman said the airline is working with the Federal Aviation Administration (search) and air traffic control to investigate.
Overman said the association would urge prosecution if the laser beam incident was intentional.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta (search) announced in January that the government was requiring pilots to immediately report lasers being beamed at airplanes — a response to a rash of such incidents.
The new Federal Aviation Administration guidelines are meant to speed word of such incidents to air traffic controllers, who would then repeatedly broadcast warnings and quickly notify law officers.
https://www.foxnews.com/story/another-laser-beam-penetrates-cockpit