Kathryn J. Wood

Laser Exposure Incidents: Pilot Ocular Health and Aviation Safety Issues

INTRODUCTION A database of aviation reports involving laser illumination of flight crewmembers has been established and maintained at the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute. A review of recent laser illumination reports was initiated to investigate the significance of these events. METHODS Reports that involved laser exposures of civilian aircraft in the United States were analyzed for the 13-month period (January 1, 2004, through January 31, 2005). RESULTS There were 90 reported instances of laser illumination during the study period. A total of 53 reports involved laser exposure of commercial aircraft. Lasers illuminated the cockpit in 41 (46%) of the incidents. Of those, 13 (32%) incidents resulted in a visual impairment or distraction to a pilot, including 1 incident that reportedly resulted in an ocular injury. Nearly 96% of these reports occurred in the last 3 months of the study period. There were no aviation accidents in which laser light illumination was found to be a contributing factor. CONCLUSION Operational problems have resulted from laser illumination incidents in the national airspace system. Eye care practitioners, to provide effective consultations to their pilot patients, should be familiar with the problems that can occur with laser exposure.

Laser illumination of flight crewmembers by altitude and chronology of occurrence

INTRODUCTION The illumination of flight crew personnel by lasers while they perform landing and departure maneuvers has concerned the aviation community for the past two decades. This study examines the frequency of illumination events in the United States by altitude and chronology of occurrence to determine where and when aviators and the flying public may be at greatest risk. METHODS Reports of aircraft illuminated by high-intensity light sources are maintained in a database at the Federal Aviation Administrations Civil Aerospace Medical Institute. Reports of flight crewmembers exposed to lasers from January 1, 2004, to December 31, 2008, were collected and analyzed. RESULTS Cockpit illuminations at or below 2000 ft (approximately 610 m) increased from 12.5 to 26.7% over the 5-yr period, while the percentage of illuminations between 2000 and 10,000 ft (approximately 610-3048 m) decreased from 87.5 to 58.4%. The months of November and December had the highest frequency of laser events (23%), while May and June had the least (12%). Sunday was the most likely day for an aircraft to be illuminated (18.3%), while Wednesday was the least likely day for such an incident (15.4%). More than 91% of all aircraft illumination events occurred between 1800 and midnight. CONCLUSION The continuing increase in the number of laser illuminations reported at or below 2000 ft (approximately 610 m) represents an escalating threat to aviation safety. Information provided in this study may allow law enforcement to deploy their resources more efficiently to apprehend those responsible for these crimes.