There is a laser beam distracting pilots near las.

Attributes
ACN	278449
Time
Date	199407
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : las
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : las
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 180
ASRS Report	278449
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Aircraft hit with strobe like light. Crew opinion that light source was laser light operated in las vegas downtown area. Night vision was impaired momentarily until eyes adjusted to night conditions. Neither crew member was looking at light source and eyes adjusted quickly, still. It is my opinion that this laser light poses a safety hazard. Please take necessary steps to enhance safety by not allowing this laser to operate. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies the B-737 for a major air carrier serving the west mostly. He does not know if the laser is operated every evening nor to whom it belongs. The reporter states that another pilot with his air carrier had temporary damage to the rear of his eye when he was hit by the laser. The reporter will check around at his air carrier and find out the name of the hotel or casino and encourage other pilots to submit reports to the ASRS. The reporter has called the FAA aviation safety hotline and is waiting for a response.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THERE IS A LASER BEAM DISTRACTING PLTS NEAR LAS.

Narrative: ACFT HIT WITH STROBE LIKE LIGHT. CREW OPINION THAT LIGHT SOURCE WAS LASER LIGHT OPERATED IN LAS VEGAS DOWNTOWN AREA. NIGHT VISION WAS IMPAIRED MOMENTARILY UNTIL EYES ADJUSTED TO NIGHT CONDITIONS. NEITHER CREW MEMBER WAS LOOKING AT LIGHT SOURCE AND EYES ADJUSTED QUICKLY, STILL. IT IS MY OPINION THAT THIS LASER LIGHT POSES A SAFETY HAZARD. PLEASE TAKE NECESSARY STEPS TO ENHANCE SAFETY BY NOT ALLOWING THIS LASER TO OPERATE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES THE B-737 FOR A MAJOR ACR SERVING THE W MOSTLY. HE DOES NOT KNOW IF THE LASER IS OPERATED EVERY EVENING NOR TO WHOM IT BELONGS. THE RPTR STATES THAT ANOTHER PLT WITH HIS ACR HAD TEMPORARY DAMAGE TO THE REAR OF HIS EYE WHEN HE WAS HIT BY THE LASER. THE RPTR WILL CHK AROUND AT HIS ACR AND FIND OUT THE NAME OF THE HOTEL OR CASINO AND ENCOURAGE OTHER PLTS TO SUBMIT RPTS TO THE ASRS. THE RPTR HAS CALLED THE FAA AVIATION SAFETY HOTLINE AND IS WAITING FOR A RESPONSE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.