A New York man has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for pointing a laser at a Delta Air Lines flight on approach to Buffalo Niagara International Airport, in a case that underlines how seriously US courts now treat an offence many still dismiss as a prank.
Joseph L. Crapsi, 31, of Cheektowaga, New York, was sentenced by US District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo after being convicted of aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft. On 2 March 2024, Crapsi directed the beam of a green laser pointer at the Delta flight as it descended toward Buffalo. The pilot reported that the laser was held on the aircraft for between 60 and 90 seconds.
Why 90 seconds matters
Ninety seconds is an eternity on final approach. It is the phase of flight where the crew is configuring the aircraft, monitoring speed and rate of descent, and looking out at the runway environment β precisely when the flight deck is least able to absorb a distraction.
A handheld laser that looks like a thin green line from the ground does not stay thin by the time it reaches an aircraft. Beam divergence spreads it across the windscreen, and the cockpit glass scatters it further, filling the flight deck with glare. At best it is a distraction. At worst it causes flash blindness or afterimages that can persist for several minutes, degrading a pilot's ability to read instruments or judge the runway picture in exactly the window where there is no time to recover.
A persistent and growing problem
Laser strikes on aircraft have become a stubborn feature of the US aviation safety picture, with thousands reported to the Federal Aviation Administration every year. The overwhelming majority happen on approach or departure, when aircraft are low, slow and close enough to the ground for a consumer laser to reach the cockpit.
Crapsi lived beneath the airport's flight path, which is a common thread in these cases: the offenders are usually not seeking to bring down an aircraft, but simply pointing a device at whatever is passing overhead. That absence of intent, however, does not change the risk profile β and federal prosecutors have made clear that they will pursue custodial sentences regardless.
The legal picture
Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft has been a federal crime in the United States since 2012, carrying a maximum penalty of five years in prison and substantial fines. In practice, sentences have varied widely, with some offenders receiving probation. An 18-month custodial term sits at the firmer end of the range and reflects a broader trend toward treating laser strikes as a genuine aviation safety offence rather than a nuisance.
For crews, the message from the flight deck has been consistent for years: a laser strike is not harmless. Airlines and pilot unions have pushed repeatedly for tougher enforcement, arguing that the only meaningful deterrent is the near-certainty of prosecution. Cases like this one β where the aircraft, the date and the duration of the strike were all documented β are exactly the kind that make that deterrent real.
Sources: Simple Flying, WKBW. Featured image: AI-generated by AviationShop. By Elena Vargas.
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