Audio Transcript

Mollie Halpern: The FBI and FAA recently released data showing 2013 had the highest number of laser strikes against aircraft ever recorded. Chief of the Violent Crimes Unit John Kitzinger…

John Kitzinger: Pointing a laser at an aircraft is an extremely dangerous problem. There has been more than a 1,000 percent increase since 2005.

Halpern: I’m Mollie Halpern of the Bureau, and this is FBI, This Week. 3,960 laser strikes were reported last year—that’s an average of 11 laser incidents a day. Lasing poses a serious threat to aviation safety, which could result in the loss of aircraft control and even death. Fred Eissler of the Air Line Pilots Association, International speaks of the dangers of lasing.

Fred Eissler: We’re in one of the safest periods of aviation history, but the consequences of lasing an aircraft in a critical phase of flight can have dire consequences.

Halpern: The FBI has airport liaison agents in all of our 56 field offices across the country who work with law enforcement at all levels to investigate this federal crime. For more, visit www.fbi.gov.

- See related story for additional information, including photos, videos, flyers, and a public service announcement: Protecting Aircraft from Lasers