EFFINGHAM COUNTY, GA—The FBI, in coordination with Effingham County Sheriff Jimmy McDuffie and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect(s) responsible for a series of laser strikes on aircraft approaching the Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport (SAV).

From November 2019 to January 2020, the FAA reported three laser strikes on airplanes that were traced to the same general area in Effingham County, about 10-15 miles north west of SAV.

When aimed at an aircraft, a beam of light from a handheld laser can travel more than a mile and illuminate a cockpit, disorienting and temporarily blinding pilots. It is a serious matter and a federal felony to knowingly point the beam of a laser at an aircraft. More information about laser strikes can be found here:

https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/protecting-aircraft-from-lasers-trial-program-expanded

https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/lasers/

Anyone with information about the three laser strikes is asked to contact FBI Atlanta at 770-216-3000. If you see suspicious activity involving the use of lasers targeting aircraft, call 911, the Effingham County Sheriff Office at 912-754-3449, or your local police department (if outside Effingham County).