BOSTON (WHDH) - An investigation got underway Sunday after the flight crew of a Delta Air Lines flight reported having their plane illuminated by a laser near Logan International Airport, the FAA confirmed.
An FAA spokesperson said Delta Flight 2088 was flying from Austin, Texas to Boston. The laser incident happened near 10:10 p.m. roughly nine miles northeast of Logan.
The FAA said no injuries were reported and local authorities were notified.
Flight data showed the plane landed 19 minutes after the laser strike, just four minutes behind schedule.
Lasers being shined at planes can be dangerous for pilots and passengers. Pointing a laser at an aircraft is also a federal crime.
Despite penalties, pilots reported more than 13,300 laser strikes in the US in 2023.
Within the Boston area, the FAA has acknowledged several incidents of laser strikes in recent years, including one in September 2023 where crew members aboard a Coast Guard helicopter reported being hit by a laser while landing at a hospital in Boston.
Law enforcement arrested a 59-year-old Boston man in May of this year in connection with the incident after he was indicted on one count of aiming a laser pointer at a Coast Guard helicopter.
Under federal law, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts said the man could be sentenced to spend up to five years in prison, with three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine if he is found guilty.
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