SAN DIEGO — San Diego remains at the top in the nation for laser strikes on airplanes and helicopters, according to recently released data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
In 2023, the FAA recorded 311 laser strikes on unsuspecting pilots from the ground in and around San Diego. It was the eighth-highest number in the country and the second-highest in California.
It was also an improvement from previous years.
According to FAA data, CBS 8 found that in 2021 pilots landing at and taking off from San Diego International recorded 453 laser strikes, the most in the nation.
The number of laser strikes decreased in 2022 with 341 hits from lasers, placing San Diego with the third highest behind Sacramento, which had 442, and Houston which recorded 360 laser strikes.
See the chart below to see the top ten cities by year since 2019.
Laser Strikes in 2023
Airplane and helicopter pilots witnessed an increase in laser strikes in 2023.
The FAA received more than 13,304 reports of people shining lasers at pilots last year.
“The FAA is committed to maintaining the safest air transportation system in the world. Aiming a laser at an aircraft is a serious safety hazard that puts everyone on the plane and on the ground at risk,” said FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker.
'No joking matter'
According to the FAA, most high-powered lasers can incapacitate pilots and put hundreds of passengers at risk.
The FAA said pilots have reported 313 injuries since the federal government began analyzing and recording data on laser strikes in 2010.
"It’s a federal crime and you are temporarily potentially blinding the people landing the aircraft with a couple hundred people on board," said San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond.
Before his political career, Desmond was a pilot for Delta Airlines with over 30 years of flying experience. Desmond knows firsthand the dangers that laser strikes pose for pilots.
"This isn’t just a joke or gimmick to show your friends in your backyard, this is serious and can cause potentially a lot of damage," said Desmond.
Desmond remembers flights in Orlando and Los Angeles when he spotted someone pointing a laser at the plane while he was in the cockpit.
"I’ve seen it twice but I’ve never been hit directly in the eye. One thing is for sure, it is dangerous. It can temporarily blind you. You don’t want blind pilots. I am glad that the FAA is taking it seriously."
In 2023, San Diego accounted for more than 16% of laser strike attacks in California and had the second-highest number of reported laser strikes in the state, behind Sacramento.
San Diego County law enforcement has been the target of various laser strikes.
In December 2023, Ruben Ricardo Rodriguez, 33, pleaded guilty to federal charges of aiming a laser at a San Diego County Sheriff’s Department helicopter.
Federal prosecutors said Rodriguez admitted to aiming a green laser beam at incoming airplanes flying near National City in June 2021.
Rodriguez is scheduled for sentencing on March 4 in federal court. He faces up to five years in federal custody and a $250,000 fine.
Federal officials encourage the public to report laser strikes to the FAA here.