FBI investigates lasers pointed at planes landing in Georgia

SAVANNAH, Ga. - Federal authorities are investigating reports of lasers being pointed at airplanes as they descend for landing at the largest airport on the Georgia coast, officials said Wednesday.

The FBI is offering a $2,500 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the case. It said in a news release that the Federal Aviation Administration has reported three incidents since November of lasers hitting planes approaching the Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport.

The lasers in each instance were traced to the same area of Effingham County a few miles (kilometers) northwest of the airport, the FBI said.

Intentionally pointing a laser at an aircraft is punishable as a federal felony. A handheld laser can transmit a beam that reaches more than a mile (kilometer) and has the potential to temporarily blind pilots.