Narrative:

On climb out from runway 27 cvg, we were climbing out on the 290 degree radial from cvg VORTAC. Passing through 9000 ft I glanced out of the right window (copilot 727 aircraft). I observed through a break in the clouds (broken overcast) the river and shoreline northwest of the cvg airport. A bright blue/green light suddenly hit my right eye. I quickly turned away from the light. The light appeared to have come from the east shore line of the river. For the next 1 1/2 hours, the vision in my right eye was impaired. It felt as if I was looking through a bright haze blue/green filter. For about 2 hours after the initial 1.4 hour period, I could see a bright blue/green spot through my right eye. My left eye was not exposed to the light. I suspect the light that hit me was a laser beam from a ground source. The captain or flight engineer did not observe or notice the light. FAA inspector who was seated on the jumpseat in the cockpit did observe the light. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that his eye sight is completely back to normal. He has departed the same airport subsequently, but has not observed the light again. He believes that it must have been a laser beam light from the ground as there was no thunderstorm WX that would produce static type discharges. He reported that it was similar to a beam of light from a laser used toward a target aircraft in a military test sight yrs earlier when he was in the military. He reported this incident to his company and has learned that the employees' pilot union investigated the area and found no known established laser beams anywhere in the area. The investigators suggested that it may have been a river boat gambling casino cruising the river which was omitting the light beam. That would account for the non consistency of observations due changes in location.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 FO'S VISION WAS TEMPORARILY IMPAIRED IN 1 EYE BY WHAT APPEARED TO BE A BEAM OF LIGHT FROM A LASER LIGHT.

Narrative: ON CLB OUT FROM RWY 27 CVG, WE WERE CLBING OUT ON THE 290 DEG RADIAL FROM CVG VORTAC. PASSING THROUGH 9000 FT I GLANCED OUT OF THE R WINDOW (COPLT 727 ACFT). I OBSERVED THROUGH A BREAK IN THE CLOUDS (BROKEN OVCST) THE RIVER AND SHORELINE NW OF THE CVG ARPT. A BRIGHT BLUE/GREEN LIGHT SUDDENLY HIT MY R EYE. I QUICKLY TURNED AWAY FROM THE LIGHT. THE LIGHT APPEARED TO HAVE COME FROM THE E SHORE LINE OF THE RIVER. FOR THE NEXT 1 1/2 HRS, THE VISION IN MY R EYE WAS IMPAIRED. IT FELT AS IF I WAS LOOKING THROUGH A BRIGHT HAZE BLUE/GREEN FILTER. FOR ABOUT 2 HRS AFTER THE INITIAL 1.4 HR PERIOD, I COULD SEE A BRIGHT BLUE/GREEN SPOT THROUGH MY R EYE. MY L EYE WAS NOT EXPOSED TO THE LIGHT. I SUSPECT THE LIGHT THAT HIT ME WAS A LASER BEAM FROM A GND SOURCE. THE CAPT OR FE DID NOT OBSERVE OR NOTICE THE LIGHT. FAA INSPECTOR WHO WAS SEATED ON THE JUMPSEAT IN THE COCKPIT DID OBSERVE THE LIGHT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HIS EYE SIGHT IS COMPLETELY BACK TO NORMAL. HE HAS DEPARTED THE SAME ARPT SUBSEQUENTLY, BUT HAS NOT OBSERVED THE LIGHT AGAIN. HE BELIEVES THAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN A LASER BEAM LIGHT FROM THE GND AS THERE WAS NO TSTM WX THAT WOULD PRODUCE STATIC TYPE DISCHARGES. HE RPTED THAT IT WAS SIMILAR TO A BEAM OF LIGHT FROM A LASER USED TOWARD A TARGET ACFT IN A MIL TEST SIGHT YRS EARLIER WHEN HE WAS IN THE MIL. HE RPTED THIS INCIDENT TO HIS COMPANY AND HAS LEARNED THAT THE EMPLOYEES' PLT UNION INVESTIGATED THE AREA AND FOUND NO KNOWN ESTABLISHED LASER BEAMS ANYWHERE IN THE AREA. THE INVESTIGATORS SUGGESTED THAT IT MAY HAVE BEEN A RIVER BOAT GAMBLING CASINO CRUISING THE RIVER WHICH WAS OMITTING THE LIGHT BEAM. THAT WOULD ACCOUNT FOR THE NON CONSISTENCY OF OBSERVATIONS DUE CHANGES IN LOCATION.

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.