Plane Landing at JFK From Canada Gets Hit by Laser: FAA

The FAA and NYPD are investigating after a crew on a flight landing at John F. Kennedy Airport reported getting hit by a green laser shortly before landing.

The crew aboard Skylink Express flight 9742 reported that the plane was illuminated by the beam about 4 miles northwest of JFK early Wednesday, acccording to the FAA. 

The craft, which was ferrying carbgo from Ontario, Canada, landed safely at the airport.

No injuries were reported. 

Pointing a laser at a plane is a federal crime, and the FAA since 2011 has been moving to enforce penalties against those found pointing lasers at aircraft, including imposing civil penalties of up to $11,000 per violation.

The agency said there has been a drastic increase in the number of laser strike reports over the last 10 years for a variety of reasons -- including greater awareness on the part of pilots, more inexpensive lasers available for sale online and stronger laser power levels that allow the light to hit aircraft at higher altitudes, as well the introduction of green lasers, which are more visible to the human eye than red lasers.

In 2014, 3,894 laser incidents were reported across the U.S., including Puerto Rico, and 116 of them were in the tri-state, according to the FAA.

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