The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
is investigating after a 
Delta Air Lines
flight was illuminated by a laser during its approach in Boston on Sunday. The incident reportedly occurred around nine miles away from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
just after 22:00.
Lasers
can pose a significant safety threat to aircraft as they can severely blind pilots. Although similar incidents have taken place in Boston before, they have reportedly happened more frequently near another city in a different state.
Flight details
According to Boston local affiliate WHDH, the FAA confirmed that a laser struck DAL2088, which was enroute from Austin–Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)
. The flight, operated by an Airbus A320, departed from AUS at 17:23 CDT and was airborne by 17:59. About 30 minutes into the flight, the plane had reached an initial cruising altitude of 33,000 feet. For about one hour and 20 minutes, it maintained the altitude as it headed northeast.
Photo: FlightAware
The aircraft then gradually climbed to 35,000 feet, where it remained for the rest of its cruise. At around 21:50 EDT, the A320 was flying over southern New Jersey and had begun its descent. Around 20 minutes later, at 22:10, the plane had lined up for its final approach on runway 4R. This is also around the time believed when the aircraft was struck by the laser. It was descending through 9,000 feet and was just east of Providence, Rhode Island. FlightAware data shows that the plane landed safely at 22:19 and taxied to gate A4, where it arrived at 22:29. No injuries were reported.
It’s happened in Boston before
Simple Flying contacted Delta and the FAA on Monday for a statement about the incident, but representatives from each party could not be immediately reached. While lasers pointed at aircraft can visually impair pilots, it is also a federal offense. Under federal law, people caught shining lasers at planes can be subject to several years in prison and a hefty fine.
The incident is not the first to occur in Boston.
Simple Flying reported last September that a laser targeted an MH-60 Jayhawk operated by the US Coast Guard during a training flight, which was the third such incident to occur in one day
. The aircraft was near Massachusetts General Hospital when it was struck at around 20:00 at night.
WHDH reported this past May that law enforcement officials arrested a 59-year-old man found guilty of the act. According to the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, the man faced up to five years in jail, three years of supervised release, and a fine of a quarter of a million dollars.
Laser incidents in the Lone Star State
Earlier this month, Houston, Texas, became the spotlight for laser incidents. According to Aviation Pros, the FAA revealed that the city leads all other Texas cities in laser strikes with more than 260 occurrences so far this year. A total of 694 incidents across the entire state were recorded by the agency within the first seven months of the year.
Photo: Kanat Rattananiyompan | Shutterstock
Laser strikes have spiked significantly over the years. In 2020, there were 6,852 incidents reported by the FAA – just over half of the total number of strikes recorded last year, which was 13,304.