The FBI, in coordination with the United States Air Force, is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the arrest of the suspect or suspect responsible for a what the agency calls a laser strike on an aircraft approaching the Savannah Air National Guard Base on March 9, 2021.

The FBI, in coordination with the United States Air Force, is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the arrest of the suspect or suspect responsible for a what the agency calls a laser strike on an aircraft approaching the Savannah Air National Guard Base on March 9, 2021.

According to the FBI, at 9:50 p.m., a United States Air Force aircraft was deliberately struck by a high-powered laser for about one minute. The laser caused temporary eye damage to a member of the flight crew and put the entire crew at risk.

Investigators believe the laser originated from an area northeast of Vidalia.

When aimed at an aircraft, a beam of light from a laser can travel more than a mile and illuminate a cockpit, disorienting and temporarily blinding pilots. Its is a serious matter and a federal felony to knowingly point the beam of a laser at an aircraft.

Anyone with information about the laser strike on March 9, 2021, is asked to contact FBI Atlanta at 770-216-3000 or go to tips.fbi.gov.

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The FBI, in coordination with the United States Air Force, is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the arrest of the suspect or suspect responsible for a what the agency calls a laser strike on an aircraft approaching the Savannah Air National Guard Base on March 9, 2021.
Thom Chandler
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Thom Chandler is the editor of The Georgia Sun and has been writing, editing and managing websites and blogs since 1995. He is a lifelong Georgian and one of those increasingly rare Atlanta natives.