The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating after 11 commercial flights reported they were illuminated by lasers while flying over New Jersey within an hour and a half Wednesday.
The lasers hit the left and right sides of the cockpits, along with the sides of the planes. There were no reports of injuries in the laser-pointings, which were between 9 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., the FAA said.
Lasers can distract or temporarily blind pilots. Pointing one at a plane is a federal crime.
The FAA says at least three of the laser-pointings involved flights near Newark Liberty International Airport. Porter 141 was at 3,000 feet 15 miles southwest of the airport; American Airlines 1472 was 20 miles southwest; and American Airlines 966 was at 3,000 feet, 15 miles south of Newark.
Three flights were at 3,000 feet and were 4 miles south of the Outerbridge Crossing, which connects Perth Amboy to Staten Island in New York.
American Flight 348 was at 9,000 feet, headed to LaGuardia Airport.
Two flights were over Monmouth County. Republic Airlines 4632 was at 9,000 feet, bound for Pittsburgh and United 330 was at 9,000 feet.
JetBlue Flight 2779 did not report its location, and one aircraft reported it was hit by a laser over Ocean City, the FAA said.
