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A New York man has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to aiming a laser pointer at a Delta Air Lines aircraft as it approached Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF).
Federal prosecutors announced that Joseph L. Crapsi, 31, of Cheektowaga, NY was sentenced by US District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo for violating federal law that prohibits intentionally aiming a laser at an aircraft. The incident occurred on March 2, 2024 when Delta Air Lines flight DL 2334 was on final approach to Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF). According to investigators, Crapsi, who lives beneath the airport’s flight path directed a green laser beam at the aircraft. This prompted the flight crew to report the laser strike to authorities.
Police traced the laser to Crapsi’s neighborhood after interviewing residents, including a neighbor who reported seeing a laser shining from his home on multiple occasions. Officers were invited inside the residence, where they discovered a laser pointer in plain view and seized it as evidence. Crapsi later pleaded guilty to the offense.
Pointing a laser at an aircraft has been a federal crime since 2012 and carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. While Crapsi’s attorneys challenged the legality of the search and arrest, the court ruled that officers had probable cause to investigate and properly seized the laser pointer. The case serves as another reminder of the dangers posed by laser strikes on aircraft. Bright laser beams can temporarily blind or disorient pilots during critical phases of flight (particularly takeoff and landing) and potentially creating serious safety risks.
Paddle Your Own Kanoo reports that reported laser incidents have declined slightly in recent years, but they remain a significant concern. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), there were 12,840 laser strikes reported in 2024 and nearly 11,000 incidents in 2025. More than 3,300 reports have already recorded during the first half of 2026.
Anthony’s Take: If you do stupid things, you should be prepared for the consequences. There is no reason to do this and it could have caused a serious issue.
(Featured Image Credit: Delta Air Lines.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
