TAMPA, Fla. - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is increasing efforts to reduce laser strikes on aircraft during August, designated as "Laser Enforcement Month."

What we know:

Nationally, pilots reported nearly 13,000 laser strikes last year, even as numbers dropped slightly from 2023.

Commercial pilots said these strikes are dangerous and can have catastrophic consequences. Retired pilot Kent Davis, who has more than 40 years of experience, said this happened to him, and described lasers flickering into his cockpit while flying a 747, potentially endangering hundreds of passengers.

There have been arrests made for these incidents just this summer in the Tampa Bay area.

Timeline:

In June 2025, Hillsborough County deputies arrested a man in Riverview for shining a laser at a

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