Narrative:

Cleared visual approach from 11 mi southeast of phx for visual landing runway 26L. I have never seen a laser before so I guess that is what this was. The source was from somewhere around ffz in mesa, az. The light seemed to track my cockpit for 30 seconds. On a visual approach, I couldn't get my head down under the glareshield to avoid this distraction. I was seeing spots for about 30 mins and don't believe my night vision returned for 1 1/2 hours. I notified phx approach by telephone after landing. This is extremely close to a busy arrival corridor, is most distracting and we should stop them from illuminating aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this occurred on the base leg while approaching visually from the south, into phx. Traffic was also inbound from the north on visual approachs to the north runway. With the parallel approachs to the west in progress, and the convergence of traffic on the turn to final it was impossible to discern the visual for any amount of time. The captain (PF) was stuck with the glare of the light beam that seemed to follow the cockpit. He continued flying, but as reported, he saw 'spots' and did not regain night vision for another 1 1/2 hours.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B737 CAPT (PF) RPTS THAT WHILE ON A NIGHT VISUAL APCH, A LASER TRACKED THE COCKPIT FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS. THE RPTR WAS NOT ABLE TO AVOID THE DISTR BECAUSE HE WAS IN AN AREA OF CONVERGING PARALLEL VISUAL APCHS. AS A RESULT, THE CAPT SAW SPOTS FOR ABOUT 30 MINS AFTER THE EXPOSURE, AND DID NOT REGAIN NIGHT VISION UNTIL AN HR AND A HALF LATER.

Narrative: CLRED VISUAL APCH FROM 11 MI SE OF PHX FOR VISUAL LNDG RWY 26L. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A LASER BEFORE SO I GUESS THAT IS WHAT THIS WAS. THE SOURCE WAS FROM SOMEWHERE AROUND FFZ IN MESA, AZ. THE LIGHT SEEMED TO TRACK MY COCKPIT FOR 30 SECONDS. ON A VISUAL APCH, I COULDN'T GET MY HEAD DOWN UNDER THE GLARESHIELD TO AVOID THIS DISTR. I WAS SEEING SPOTS FOR ABOUT 30 MINS AND DON'T BELIEVE MY NIGHT VISION RETURNED FOR 1 1/2 HRS. I NOTIFIED PHX APCH BY TELEPHONE AFTER LNDG. THIS IS EXTREMELY CLOSE TO A BUSY ARR CORRIDOR, IS MOST DISTRACTING AND WE SHOULD STOP THEM FROM ILLUMINATING ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS OCCURRED ON THE BASE LEG WHILE APCHING VISUALLY FROM THE S, INTO PHX. TFC WAS ALSO INBOUND FROM THE N ON VISUAL APCHS TO THE N RWY. WITH THE PARALLEL APCHS TO THE W IN PROGRESS, AND THE CONVERGENCE OF TFC ON THE TURN TO FINAL IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO DISCERN THE VISUAL FOR ANY AMOUNT OF TIME. THE CAPT (PF) WAS STUCK WITH THE GLARE OF THE LIGHT BEAM THAT SEEMED TO FOLLOW THE COCKPIT. HE CONTINUED FLYING, BUT AS RPTED, HE SAW 'SPOTS' AND DID NOT REGAIN NIGHT VISION FOR ANOTHER 1 1/2 HRS.

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.