FAA investigates two reports of lasers pointed at Newark-bound flights

The first incident, which occurred shortly after 8:10 p.m., involved a Newark-bound United Airlines, said Jim Peters, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration. The plane, Flight 330, was 15 miles southwest of the airport when someone pointed a laser at it, and it landed safely.

The second incident, involving a Cessna corporate jet arriving form Dallas, occurred just after 9 p.m., Peters said. Someone shined a green laser at the plane about 2 ½ miles southeast of Somerset, Peters said.

Since flight crews began reporting laser events in 2005, the number of incidents has skyrocketed from 300 in that year to 2,836 last year, according to the FAA. Such incidents happen all over the country every day, the FAA said.

Aiming a laser at a plane is a federal offense, punishable by criminal and civil penalties. Lasers can temporarily blind a pilot, according to the FAA.

Source:  http://www.northjersey.com