Bayou City is worse for lasing than New York or Los Angeles
It looks like Houston is a dangerous place to fly.
The Federal Aviation Administration ranks Houston fifth in the nation, ahead of both New York and Los Angeles for incidents of "lasing." Across the nation the number of aircraft that get a laser pointed at them is rising.
In 2012, aircraft were "lased" 47 times near Hobby Airport and 46 times near George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Phoenix led the nation in 2011 with 130 incidents.
When an aircraft gets lased, the beam hits the cockpit glass and can blind the pilot. Some pilots have been taken to the hospital after lasing incidents. No crashes have been linked to lasing incidents yet. The federal offense carries penalties of up to five years in prison and an $11,000 fine.
