Narrative:

Aircraft was struck several times by a laser beam while on approach. Beam was located in the ann arbor area. Neither pilot has noted any adverse vision problems. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this B737 aircraft was on approach to dtw when hit by laser beams, though, the reporter first officer initially reported that neither pilot noted any adverse vision problems, callback revealed that the captain subsequently saw a doctor who found he had a burned retina. Reporter questioned dtw approach control about where the lasers were located and was told that domino farms (pizza) amusement park, located in the ann arbor area, had, and used the lasers. Dtw approach then cleared the aircraft for a visual approach and the captain joked to the first officer -- how could he do a visual after being hit by a laser? Reporter mentioned other areas they fly to where lasers are used and considered by flcs as hazardous. One is nashville where the grand old opry has a laser. There, the ATIS cautions pilots about lasers in use, but what are flcs supposed to do to avoid the laser, close their eyes? Another hazardous airport is las vegas where apparently an air force F15 pilot received eye injury from the lasers. Las vegas has since installed a TCAS type of system which turns off the laser beams when an aircraft is in the vicinity.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LASER BEAMS HITTING ACFT AT NIGHT. FLC EYE DAMAGE.

Narrative: ACFT WAS STRUCK SEVERAL TIMES BY A LASER BEAM WHILE ON APCH. BEAM WAS LOCATED IN THE ANN ARBOR AREA. NEITHER PLT HAS NOTED ANY ADVERSE VISION PROBS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS B737 ACFT WAS ON APCH TO DTW WHEN HIT BY LASER BEAMS, THOUGH, THE RPTR FO INITIALLY RPTED THAT NEITHER PLT NOTED ANY ADVERSE VISION PROBS, CALLBACK REVEALED THAT THE CAPT SUBSEQUENTLY SAW A DOCTOR WHO FOUND HE HAD A BURNED RETINA. RPTR QUESTIONED DTW APCH CTL ABOUT WHERE THE LASERS WERE LOCATED AND WAS TOLD THAT DOMINO FARMS (PIZZA) AMUSEMENT PARK, LOCATED IN THE ANN ARBOR AREA, HAD, AND USED THE LASERS. DTW APCH THEN CLRED THE ACFT FOR A VISUAL APCH AND THE CAPT JOKED TO THE FO -- HOW COULD HE DO A VISUAL AFTER BEING HIT BY A LASER? RPTR MENTIONED OTHER AREAS THEY FLY TO WHERE LASERS ARE USED AND CONSIDERED BY FLCS AS HAZARDOUS. ONE IS NASHVILLE WHERE THE GRAND OLD OPRY HAS A LASER. THERE, THE ATIS CAUTIONS PLTS ABOUT LASERS IN USE, BUT WHAT ARE FLCS SUPPOSED TO DO TO AVOID THE LASER, CLOSE THEIR EYES? ANOTHER HAZARDOUS ARPT IS LAS VEGAS WHERE APPARENTLY AN AIR FORCE F15 PLT RECEIVED EYE INJURY FROM THE LASERS. LAS VEGAS HAS SINCE INSTALLED A TCAS TYPE OF SYS WHICH TURNS OFF THE LASER BEAMS WHEN AN ACFT IS IN THE VICINITY.

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.