Southwest Airlines Plane, CHP Aircraft Report Laser Strikes
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – Authorities say a plane landing at Sacramento International Airport was hit by a laser.
The incident happened on Wednesday. According to the California Highway Patrol Solano Area Division, a Southwest Airlines was getting ready to land when it was hit by a strong green laser. The pilot reported the incident to the FAA and a CHP aircraft was deployed to try and find the suspect.
Just before 9:30 p.m., the CHP aircraft reported that they were also hit by a strong green laser – helping them zero in on a suspect near Fry and Clark Roads in unincorporated Solano County.
CHP officers soon stopped and arrested the suspect - identified as a man named David Fanning - at a dead-end road east of Highway 113.
The FAA has been fielding an increasing number of laser strikes across the country – with more than 5,000 reported so far this year, nearly double from the number five years ago.
Shining a laser at an airplane could potentially blind a pilot. Suspects face federal charges.
