SAN ANTONIO – Aiming lasers at an aircraft can be dangerous for pilots and people on the ground. Recently, a Schertz man pleaded guilty in federal court to pointing a laser at a San Antonio police helicopter. The pilot managed to land safely at the San Antonio International Airport, but he was temporarily blinded.
Dr. Daniel Johnson, chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at UT Health San Antonio, said although the likelihood that a laser could cause permanent damage is low, it can still have serious effects.
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"It could temporarily stunt your vision, blur your vision, give you a glare that may make it hard for you to see for a short period of time, just like a camera flash right in front of your eyes,” Johnson said.
The effects lasers have on pilots depend on the strength of the device.
“High-powered lasers can damage tissue. They can damage skin. They can damage the vision. However, most of the lasers that are readily available, laser pointers, the toys that people use, typically are below the threshold that we worry about causing permanent damage to the eye,” Johnson said.
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Johnson said damage to the eyes also depends on how close the laser is when pointed.
“The farther that you are from the source of the laser, the more the laser light gets diffused. And so, it actually gets weakened. And so, even higher power lasers at farther distances, like over 1,000 feet, typically aren’t likely to produce long term damage,” Johnson said.
If a person is convicted of pointing a laser at an aircraft, they could face up to five years in federal prison and up to a $250,000 fine.
Johnson said if you’re exposed to a laser, do not stare at the laser directly. You should get your eyes examined immediately to see if there is any damage.
“There are instances of people rubbing their eyes significantly after lasers and basically causing a corneal abrasion. It’s where you irritate the skin on the surface of the cornea, and that can actually blur the vision, as well. That can take some time to heal, and that’s going to be painful,” Johnson said.