Millions of people are traveling this holiday season to see family and friends. For one grinch near Miami airport, interfering with flights using a green laser put him on the naughty list.
A man was arrested near Miami International Airport for pointing a laser at moving aircrafts on Christmas Day. It’s a problem that the FAA says is more common than you think.
It’s Not Easy Seeing Green
Miami-Dade police reportedly arrested a Brazilian national for directing a green laser pointer at aircraft landing at Miami International Airport on Wednesday.
Officers arrested Francisco Teixeira, 45, near the airport after an American Airlines flight landed. The pilot filed a complaint with police, pinpointing the location where the laser likely originated.
Police claim that Teixeira was inside a room at a nearby La Quinta Inn when he pointed the laser. Officers found a laser pointer inside his room during a search. The pointer emitted a green laser just as the pilot described.
Officers were able to confirm the device was used to disrupt flights as they were on approach to Miami International Airport.
Teixeira is facing charges of abuse of a laser lighting device, which is a felony offense under both federal and Florida laws. He is currently being detained at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
If convicted, he may face large fines and possible time in prison.
The FAA Cracking Down on Laser Pointers
This is an ongoing challenge for pilots and crew flying aircraft around the globe. Following headlines of drone discoveries in the Northeast, the FAA issued a warning to not point laser pointers at the sky.
“Aiming a laser at an aircraft is a serious safety hazard and a violation of federal law,” the FAA’s statement reads.
The FAA explains that laser pointers can distract or temporarily blind aircraft pilots. When a laser is directed at a cockpit, the laser light can refract off of items in the cockpit like a window or a HUD causing the green light to scatter throughout the cockpit.
The sudden burst of light can significantly impede cockpit duties or even cause lasting eye damage. With each commercial flight carrying tens or hundreds of passengers at a time, there’s much more at risk than what most troublemakers with laser pointers realize.
“Intentionally aiming a laser at an aircraft isn’t a prank, it is a federal crime with lasting consequences,” says President of the Air Line Pilots Association Capt. Jason Ambrosi.
The FAA reports at least 15 laser pointer-related injuries occurred in 2024. The organization also notes that pointing a laser at an aircraft can result in monetary charges and up to five years in prison.
Bottom line? Don’t even think about pointing a laser in the sky and definitely not at any aircraft.
