CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Someone aimed a laser pointer at a MedCenter Air helicopter flying to a Charlotte hospital early Wednesday morning.
The incident happened in Concord, about six miles south of the Concord Airport.
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The chopper pilot reported seeing a bright green light aimed at him for about 10 seconds.
Pointing a laser at an aircraft is a federal crime, but it's happening more often and putting lives in danger. The number of incidents the Federal Aviation Administration tracks each year is shocking.
In 2018, there were 5,664 reported cases. So far in 2019, there have been 2,605 cases reported to the FAA. That's more than a dozen a night.
A small hand-held laser pointer can be extremely dangerous to pilots and anyone in a helicopter or a plane.
Channel 9 Skyzoom pilot Andy Holt has been a victim.
"It's a serious thing. It's not a game. It's not a toy," Holt said.
Holt said it's much worse for pilots who wear night-vision goggles, which include police officers who fly helicopters and medical helicopter pilots.
"You've got a laser beam that comes across those night vision goggles. It's gonna amplify that light and basically blind you," Holt said.
It's especially a concern for pilots who are taking off or landing, and it's not just a danger to low-flying aircraft either.
News choppers fly between 500 and a 1,000 feet above the ground. That's very low. Checking with the FAA, which logs every incident, found that some pilots were flying commercial planes at 34,000 even 38,000 feet up when they reported seeing laser pointers aimed at the cockpit.
The FAA told Channel 9 there were 52 laser pointer incidents reported in Charlotte last year. There have already been 35 this year.
The felony can put someone in prison for up to two years, and also includes heavy fines. Aviation advocates want to see longer prison sentences for those who are guilty of the crime.