A green laser lit up a Burbank police helicopter on the night of July 4, and it did not end as a holiday stunt. Around 10:30 p.m., pilots in the Burbank/Glendale air support helicopter reported a bright green beam striking their aircraft while on patrol over the city. Officers later tracked the source to a home in Sun Valley, where two men were detained, cited, and released as the case heads to prosecutors for possible charges.
According to NBC Los Angeles, investigators said the men, ages 21 and 19, were arrested on suspicion of felony discharging a laser at an occupied aircraft. The station reports the arrests took place the same night as the incident and that detectives plan to submit the case to the district attorney for review.
Why Lasers Are Dangerous To Aircraft Crews
Shining a laser at a helicopter is not a harmless prank. A concentrated beam can cause intense glare, distraction, or temporary flash blindness, which is especially risky during night operations when pilots’ eyes are adjusted to the dark. The Federal Aviation Administration logged 10,993 pilot-reported laser incidents in 2025, underscoring how often flight crews are dealing with these kinds of strikes. The agency has urged pilots to report every incident so authorities can better track hotspots and patterns.
Specialist tracker LaserPointerSafety.com notes that permanent eye injuries remain uncommon. Even so, laser hits frequently force helicopters to break off missions or head back to base as a safety precaution.
Legal Consequences
Federal law treats this behavior seriously. Knowingly aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft is a crime under 18 U.S.C. § 39A, which allows for fines and prison sentences of up to five years. Congress also increased the Federal Aviation Administration’s maximum civil penalty for laser incidents to $25,000 in the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016, so offenders can face administrative penalties in addition to any criminal case.
Burbank police, who share a joint air support unit with the Glendale Police Department, said the helicopter crew was on routine patrol when the cockpit was hit by the laser. Investigators are asking anyone who may have video or other information to contact detectives, NBC Los Angeles reports. The incident comes amid continued warnings from federal and local officials about both the safety risks and the steep legal consequences of pointing lasers at aircraft.
