Narrative:

Laser beam strike on climb out from las. On the evening of nov/xx/93, myself and first officer departed las on runway 25L on an air carrier flight bound for san. At approximately 500 ft AGL and at approximately XJ00PM local time, a laser beam of green light struck through the right side window of my cockpit striking my first officer in the right eye and blinding both he and I for approximately 5-10 seconds due to the intensity of the light beam. I immediately notified the las tower controller of the incident and he began to ask us some particulars, stating that this has become a recurring problem with the laser show coming from the top of hotel in las vegas. In conclusion, first officer did require medical attention at the termination of his sequence in phx and upon examination by his doctor, the laser beam had burned the outer coating of the white area of his eye, also breaking blood vessels, accounting for the deep redness of his eye. We were very fortunate because this could have been a much more serious situation had the laser struck myself as well as the first officer at a more direct angle, severely blinding both of us and endangering the lives of my passenger and crew. Supplemental information from acn 285092: next morning had red area in white of right eye. Spoke with optometrist and made appointment for examination. Upon examination, beam had burned through outer coating of white of eye and broken blood vessels accounting for red area. No iris or retina damage.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HIGH INTENSITY LASER LIGHT BEAM BLINDS FLC JUST AFTER TKOF CAUSING INJURY TO FO.

Narrative: LASER BEAM STRIKE ON CLBOUT FROM LAS. ON THE EVENING OF NOV/XX/93, MYSELF AND FO DEPARTED LAS ON RWY 25L ON AN ACR FLT BOUND FOR SAN. AT APPROX 500 FT AGL AND AT APPROX XJ00PM LCL TIME, A LASER BEAM OF GREEN LIGHT STRUCK THROUGH THE R SIDE WINDOW OF MY COCKPIT STRIKING MY FO IN THE RIGHT EYE AND BLINDING BOTH HE AND I FOR APPROX 5-10 SECONDS DUE TO THE INTENSITY OF THE LIGHT BEAM. I IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED THE LAS TWR CTLR OF THE INCIDENT AND HE BEGAN TO ASK US SOME PARTICULARS, STATING THAT THIS HAS BECOME A RECURRING PROB WITH THE LASER SHOW COMING FROM THE TOP OF HOTEL IN LAS VEGAS. IN CONCLUSION, FO DID REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTN AT THE TERMINATION OF HIS SEQUENCE IN PHX AND UPON EXAMINATION BY HIS DOCTOR, THE LASER BEAM HAD BURNED THE OUTER COATING OF THE WHITE AREA OF HIS EYE, ALSO BREAKING BLOOD VESSELS, ACCOUNTING FOR THE DEEP REDNESS OF HIS EYE. WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE BECAUSE THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A MUCH MORE SERIOUS SIT HAD THE LASER STRUCK MYSELF AS WELL AS THE FO AT A MORE DIRECT ANGLE, SEVERELY BLINDING BOTH OF US AND ENDANGERING THE LIVES OF MY PAX AND CREW. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 285092: NEXT MORNING HAD RED AREA IN WHITE OF R EYE. SPOKE WITH OPTOMETRIST AND MADE APPOINTMENT FOR EXAMINATION. UPON EXAMINATION, BEAM HAD BURNED THROUGH OUTER COATING OF WHITE OF EYE AND BROKEN BLOOD VESSELS ACCOUNTING FOR RED AREA. NO IRIS OR RETINA DAMAGE.

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.