FBI Offers Reward For Information In Laser Strike Incident

The FBI, in coordination with the United States Air Force, is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the arrest of the suspect(s) responsible for a laser strike on an aircraft approaching the Savannah Air National Guard Base on March 9, 2021. On that date at approximately 9:50 p.m., a United States Air Force aircraft was deliberately struck by a high-powered laser for about one minute. The laser caused temporary eye damage to a member of the flight crew and put the entire crew at risk, according to a news release from the FBI.

Investigators believe the laser strike originated from an area

Reward

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northeast of Vidalia. When aimed at an aircraft, a beam of light from a laser can travel more than a mile and illuminate a cockpit, disorienting and temporarily blinding pilots. It’s a serious matter and a federal felony to knowingly point the beam of a laser at an aircraft. More information about laser strikes can be found here: https://www.fbi.gov/ news/ stories/ protectingaircraft- from- lasers- trialprogram- expanded https://www.faa.gov/ about/initiatives/lasers/ Anyone with information about the laser strike on March 9, 2021, is asked to contact FBI Atlanta at 770-216-3000 or go to tips. fbi.gov.