Aiming a Laser Pointer at an Aircraft

Statutory Citations:
Federal: 18 U.S.C. § 39A
(Michigan has reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct laws, but no direct laser-illumination equivalent.)

Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft involves allegations of knowingly directing a laser beam at an airplane, helicopter, or other aircraft in operation. Federal law treats this conduct as a serious aviation-safety offense because laser illumination can temporarily blind or disorient pilots during takeoff, landing, or mid-flight.

To secure a conviction, federal prosecutors must prove that the defendant intentionally aimed the laser at an aircraft or its flight path. Cases typically rely on pilot statements, flight-path data, GPS coordinates, device seizures, eyewitness accounts, and expert analysis regarding visibility and light behavior. These sources are often imprecise due to distance, darkness, reflective surfaces, or incorrect assumptions about angles and line of sight.

Zupac Law challenges every component of the government’s case — from device attribution and alleged vantage points to environmental conditions and inconsistent witness recollections. We also evaluate whether the laser was intentionally aimed at an aircraft or whether the illumination was accidental, misinterpreted, or physically impossible based on location data.

Penalties for aiming a laser at an aircraft can include federal imprisonment, fines, supervised release, and a permanent federal record. Early legal representation is critical to preserve environmental evidence, secure expert analysis, and establish a clear factual timeline before investigators or prosecutors form conclusions based on incomplete information.