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US: Statistics for second half of 2015 show unusual rise and sudden decline

An analysis of daily laser pointer illumination reports finds an unusual rise in the second half of 2015, with a sudden decline just before Christmas.

The chart below, showing FAA laser illumination reports for the past nine years, demonstrates how the number of reports increased and even more dramatically decreased (yellow area):

FAA incidents 2007 - May 28 2016 1150w
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A closer look at the past two years shows this more clearly:

FAA incidents past 2 years 50pct
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A possible cause of the increase is that on July 16 there was widespread nationwide publicity about 11 flights that were illuminated on July 15 in and around New Jersey.

However, this event is not a full explanation. While the publicity may have triggered a “copycat” effect, incidents had been increasing at least two weeks prior to July 16.

LaserPointerSafety.com is not aware of any other external events such as new laser pointer products, changes in laws, etc. that could also account for this increase. And, we have no explanation for the dramatic fall-off starting December 23. We have reached out to FAA to find out if there were any changes in pilot reporting requirements or in data gathering procedures.

Knowing reasons for the increase — and especially for the sudden decrease — could provide clues in the effort to reduce laser pointer incidents in the U.S.