A Colorado State Patrol aircraft approaching Centennial Airport had to abort its landing on the evening of August 19 after a green laser struck the cockpit twice, forcing the crew to circle the area until they pinpointed the source: a second-story balcony at a nearby apartment complex where an adult was standing with several children.
The aircraft was illuminated by the green laser from its left side as it approached the airport around 8:45 p.m., according to FOX31 Denver. The crew reported the laser flashed at them twice, and rather than risk a landing under those conditions, they aborted and used the plane's onboard camera system to track the beam back to its source. Colorado State Patrol Castle Rock troopers were then directed to the apartment complex, where they contacted the adult and the children on the balcony.
Video evidence reviewed by state patrol showed the adult was on the balcony with the children throughout the incident, per the outlet's reporting. Troopers confiscated the laser and warned the family about the dangers of aiming one at aircraft. Colorado State Patrol also said parents bear responsibility for preventing children from endangering others, and per the same account, laser activity had been reported in the same area on each of the three previous evenings.
Why a Momentary Flash Can Blind a Pilot
Trooper Doren, quoted in the report, said a laser strike can cause glare, flash blindness, disorientation, or permanent eye damage. Losing vision during takeoff or landing can place flight crew, passengers, and people on the ground in danger, since those are the phases of flight when precision matters most. Green lasers are responsible for the overwhelming majority of aircraft laser strikes nationwide because the wavelength is far more visible to the human eye than red light, producing severe cockpit glare during exactly the low-altitude approach and landing phases when pilots can least afford it, according to Maps.com's analysis of FAA data.
Colorado State Patrol transferred information about the incident to the Federal Aviation Administration, which can impose its own civil penalties separate from any criminal case. The FAA can fine individuals up to $11,000 per violation, and as much as $30,800 for multiple laser incidents, regardless of how any criminal charges are resolved, per the Federal Aviation Administration.
Felony Exposure Under State and Federal Law
Intentionally aiming a laser at an aircraft is a Class 6 felony under Colorado law, punishable by fines, up to five years in prison, or both. The state charge exists because of Senate Bill 23-095, which took effect in July 2023 and gave Colorado prosecutors a dedicated statute for the first time; before that law passed, according to CBS News, local police had no state charge to rely on and had to hand every case to federal prosecutors instead.
The conduct is also a federal crime. Under 18 U.S.C. § 39A, enacted through the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, knowingly aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft or its flight path carries up to five years in federal prison and fines up to $250,000, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Colorado State Patrol has been direct in its messaging: pointing a laser at an aircraft is a felony, not a prank.
A Recurring Hazard Around One of the Busiest General Aviation Hubs
The Centennial Airport area is no stranger to this problem. Colorado pilots reported nearly 150 laser strike incidents statewide in just the first six months of 2025, according to the Colorado State Patrol. Nationally, pilots reported 10,993 laser strikes to the FAA in 2025, down from a record 13,304 incidents in 2023 but still part of a trend that has grown sharply since fewer than 3,000 strikes were logged in 2010, per the FAA.
Centennial Airport ranked as the 36th busiest airport in the country in 2025, handling more than 300,000 flight operations across its three runways, according to Centennial Airport's own data. It also served as the primary flight hub for Children's Hospital Colorado and Flight for Life Colorado, supporting 6,107 emergency medical flights last year, an average of 16.7 medevac operations per day. A laser strike that blinds or disorients a crew during approach doesn't just threaten a single flight; it threatens a hub that keeps critical medical transport moving across the region.
Colorado State Patrol's Aviation Section operates its own hangar and flight unit directly out of Centennial Airport, which is why its crews are frequently in that airspace and equipped to respond quickly when a laser strike happens, according to state contracting records reviewed by HigherGov. That same onboard camera technology has led to arrests before: in August 2025, state patrol flight crews used airborne infrared video to help ground officers arrest a 41-year-old Commerce City man accused of targeting commercial airliners and a CSP aircraft with a green laser, a case that included felony laser charges alongside DUI and drug counts, as reported by 9NEWS.
In the August 19 case, troopers chose to confiscate the laser and issue a warning rather than pursue charges, a decision that reflects the difficult line enforcement often has to draw between reckless household misuse and deliberate targeting of aircraft. No charges have been reported in connection with the incident.
