Houston ranks No. 1 in number of laser strikes recorded in Texas this year, research shows

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- New research from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) puts Houston in the number one spot for the amount of laser strikes recorded in Texas this year.

This week, a man was arrested for shining a high-intensity light at a Harris County sheriff's deputy mid-flight.

It has unfortunately become the norm for deputies in the sky. HCSO pilots report on average they're hit two to three times a month.

When Harris County sheriff deputy David Rhen takes his seat, there's no room for distraction.

"We are communicating with ground crews. We are working the cameras. Our attention span is... we have enough going on right now," Rhen said.

There are a number of things that can go wrong midflight. Rhen has to consider weather conditions, visibility, and unfortunately, people with bad intentions down below.

"On Monday, when I was pilot commander on one of our fixed winged aircrafts, we were struck by an intense beam of light while working another scene," Rhen said.

Thanks to technology within the aircraft, Rhen was able to pinpoint where the light was coming from.

Investigators said they have since arrested and charged the person. Court documents identify him as Ali Iqbal.

"Some people think the laser is a fine beam. Well, let's look at it a couple hundred feet or even thousands of feet away," Rhen said. "It expands."

Rhen said on Monday he was forced to change course and is trained to turn away from the light.

"My course was a left orbit, so I deviated to protect my passenger and myself," Rhen said.

It's never happened to Rhen, but direct hits to the eye can temporarily blind a pilot.

He said it can take up to 30 minutes for a pilot's eyes to readjust.

"They could crash. If they are in any critical phase of flight, take off, landing, or coming in for an approach, and they have no reference to the ground," Rhen said. "Probably a loss of life."

Houston actually leads all Texas cities in laser strikes with 265 so far in 2024.

On a national scale, laser strike incidents have risen consistently since 2018.

In 2022, the FAA recorded about 9,500 of these incidents. In 2023, that number jumped to about 13,300 incidents.

So, far this year there's been a total of roughly 7,000.

Rhen reminds the public consequences can be severe with fines reaching up to $11,000 per violation and up to $30,800 for multiple incidents.

For updates on this story, follow Alex Bozarjian on Facebook, X and Instagram.