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KENYON, Minn. — A person who directed a laser beam at an airplane approaching the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport was somewhere on the ground in Kenyon, according to a Facebook post by the Kenyon Police Department.
The department's post did not specify what type of aircraft, whether private or commercial, was involved in the incident, nor what day it occurred. A spokesperson for the Kenyon PD could not immediately be reached.
The department's statement on Facebook was based on information from the Minneapolis Air Traffic Control (MATC), which said the pilot reported the laser coming from Kenyon.
"I told the MATC that I would notify the citizens of Kenyon, so they can anonymously report any future incidents to the police department or to the FAA," the Facebook post said. "It's unfortunate that we have to tell the public to avoid these kinds of actions. It should be common sense."
The Federal Aviation Administration website has this to say about laser strikes.
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Laser strikes on aircraft remain a serious threat to aviation safety. Intentionally aiming lasers at aircraft poses a safety threat to pilots and violates federal law. Many high-powered lasers can incapacitate pilots flying aircraft that may be carrying hundreds of passengers.
The FAA works closely with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to pursue civil and criminal penalties against people who purposely aim a laser at an aircraft. The agency takes enforcement action against people who violate Federal Aviation Regulations by shining lasers at aircraft and can impose civil penalties of up to $11,000 per violation. The FAA has imposed civil penalties up to $30,800 against people for multiple laser incidents.
