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Pilots reported seeing the lasers coming from the areas of Wilkeson and Carbonado in Pierce County.
The incidents happened Monday night to planes heading in and out of Sea-Tac. Five planes, four of them belonging to Alaska Airlines, were illuminated by a laser on the ground. Pilots reported the incidents to air traffic controllers, who in turn called the Pierce County Sheriff's Dept.
"We got some coordinates from the FAA, where they thought the lasers were coming from, we put numerous deputies in the area, checked roads and logging roads and didn't come up with anything," said Ed Troyer of the Pierce County Sheriff's Dept. "We did however have contact with some motorists who stated that they were hit by a laser beam, by a car heading down the road."
Deputies concentrated their search near the Carbonado area, that is under one of the flight paths in and out of Sea-Tac.
Four Alaska Airlines planes were illuminated by a laser on the ground.
Consumer lasers have been around for years, especially the small ones that emit red light and are often used as pointers or as measuring tools. But what worries the airlines and the FAA, is the explosion in sales of new, more powerful lasers that emit green light. The green beam can travel for several miles. The light can distract a pilot, even cause temporary blindness, much like having a flash bulb go off.
The green lasers are commonly used by astronomers to point out planets. They used to cost several hundred dollars but more recently they became available for about $50 on the Internet.
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The number of reported incidents has also increased, in part because the FAA has issued guidelines for pilots to report such incidents, and to warn other aircraft in the area that somebody is targeting airplanes.