Editor’s note: The video above about laser strikes near Sea-Tac Airport was originally published on Feb. 10, 2022.
SEATTLE – The FBI is asking for the public’s help finding the person or persons responsible for pointing lasers at aircraft near Sea-Tac International Airport. A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.
Pointing a laser at airplanes is a safety threat and could potentially cause pilots to experience flash blindness or obscured vision, endangering the lives of those on the flight. Shining a laser at aircraft is a federal crime, punishable by fines of up to $11,000 per violation and up to $30,800 for multiple incidents.
The uptick in incidents previously prompted the FAA and Port of Seattle to ask for the public’s help in February to find the person or persons responsible for shining lasers around Sea-Tac Airport.
According to the FBI, there has been a “dramatic increase of laser incidents involving arriving commercial aircraft” in Washington state. As of March 9, over 100 incidents involving lasers being pointed at planes around Sea-Tac Airport had been reported.
The FBI said incidents have been reported in neighborhoods around SeaTac, South Park, Highland Park, White Center, Burien, Normandy Park and Des Moines.
The FBI said it is working with “multiple” local and federal agencies to identify and locate those responsible.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-225-5324 or online at tips.fbi.gov.
Laser strikes have been on the rise nationally, with an all-time high of 9,723 laser strikes reported by the FAA in 2021.