Narrative:

While on the glen rose arrival; just after departing the delmo intersection on a 355 degree heading; we received a clearance to descend from 11000 ft to 6000 ft. The first officer was handling the aircraft and I was handling ATC communications. After acknowledging the clearance and beginning the descent; the controller advised that there were reports of laser activity coming from north of the grapevine lake area. After acknowledging the advisory; as I turned to the first officer to make a comment about the advisory; I was struck in the left eye by a momentary blinding white light of a perceived small diameter. Although not bright enough to illuminate the entire flight deck; it was bright enough to briefly illuminate the left side of the area. The light came from the lower left quadrant of the forward windshield; thus indicating a position below and to the left of our route of flight. Although I was momentarily stunned by the light; I estimated we were approximately abeam the end of the runway 36 complex at an altitude of about 8000 ft. The one thing that I did note was the time on the ACARS as I was looking in that direction and it was xa:49Z. My reflex reaction was to look back to the left and I noted a second brief flash which fortunately did not manage to strike the flight deck again. I reported this to the approach controller and gave him the details that I had. I reported that it appeared that the source was approximately one mile north of the lake and approximately two miles west of our track (after landing; looking at the low altitude chart; I estimated this to be about the 345 degree radial at 10 miles off of the maverick VOR). The controller asked for the color and I responded that it was clearly white. When asked if the beam appeared to be tracking or searching for the aircraft; I replied that it was difficult to tell as it appeared to be random in nature. Initially; for perhaps a period of 2 to 3 seconds I had difficulty seeing out of my left eye however shortly thereafter; my eyesight returned to almost normal with just a slight blurriness which slowly faded away. My right eye was unaffected. The first officer; who had been looking at the airport off the right side of the aircraft; did not see the flash and his eyesight was unimpaired. The remainder of the approach was flown normally and the landing was uneventful. On arrival at the gate; I contacted the TRACON supervisor to follow up with him about any further questions that they might have had. I repeated the above mentioned details and that there was really nothing further that I could add. As I felt soreness in my left eye; I contacted the duty chief pilot and we agreed that it would be best for me to seek a medical evaluation. I removed myself from flight status and proceeded to medical center to have my eye checked. The er doctor determined that there was no bleeding or burns within the eye and that there appeared to be no permanent damage; although I was requested to have my own ophthalmologist verify this prior to returning to flight status. I am indebted to the approach controllers for having notified us about this potential as if I had not turned my head at that moment to speak to the first officer; I would have undoubtedly been hit square in the eye with the potential for far greater injury.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A WHITE LASER LIGHT; ESTIMATED TO EMANATE AT THE TTT 345 DEG/10 DME; STRUCK AN MD80 CAPT IN THE L EYE APCHING DFW.

Narrative: WHILE ON THE GLEN ROSE ARR; JUST AFTER DEPARTING THE DELMO INTXN ON A 355 DEG HDG; WE RECEIVED A CLRNC TO DSND FROM 11000 FT TO 6000 FT. THE FO WAS HANDLING THE ACFT AND I WAS HANDLING ATC COMS. AFTER ACKNOWLEDGING THE CLRNC AND BEGINNING THE DSCNT; THE CTLR ADVISED THAT THERE WERE RPTS OF LASER ACTIVITY COMING FROM N OF THE GRAPEVINE LAKE AREA. AFTER ACKNOWLEDGING THE ADVISORY; AS I TURNED TO THE FO TO MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT THE ADVISORY; I WAS STRUCK IN THE L EYE BY A MOMENTARY BLINDING WHITE LIGHT OF A PERCEIVED SMALL DIAMETER. ALTHOUGH NOT BRIGHT ENOUGH TO ILLUMINATE THE ENTIRE FLT DECK; IT WAS BRIGHT ENOUGH TO BRIEFLY ILLUMINATE THE L SIDE OF THE AREA. THE LIGHT CAME FROM THE LOWER L QUADRANT OF THE FORWARD WINDSHIELD; THUS INDICATING A POSITION BELOW AND TO THE L OF OUR RTE OF FLT. ALTHOUGH I WAS MOMENTARILY STUNNED BY THE LIGHT; I ESTIMATED WE WERE APPROXIMATELY ABEAM THE END OF THE RWY 36 COMPLEX AT AN ALT OF ABOUT 8000 FT. THE ONE THING THAT I DID NOTE WAS THE TIME ON THE ACARS AS I WAS LOOKING IN THAT DIRECTION AND IT WAS XA:49Z. MY REFLEX REACTION WAS TO LOOK BACK TO THE L AND I NOTED A SECOND BRIEF FLASH WHICH FORTUNATELY DID NOT MANAGE TO STRIKE THE FLT DECK AGAIN. I RPTED THIS TO THE APCH CTLR AND GAVE HIM THE DETAILS THAT I HAD. I RPTED THAT IT APPEARED THAT THE SOURCE WAS APPROX ONE MILE N OF THE LAKE AND APPROX TWO MILES W OF OUR TRACK (AFTER LNDG; LOOKING AT THE LOW ALT CHART; I ESTIMATED THIS TO BE ABOUT THE 345 DEG RADIAL AT 10 MILES OFF OF THE MAVERICK VOR). THE CTLR ASKED FOR THE COLOR AND I RESPONDED THAT IT WAS CLEARLY WHITE. WHEN ASKED IF THE BEAM APPEARED TO BE TRACKING OR SEARCHING FOR THE ACFT; I REPLIED THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO TELL AS IT APPEARED TO BE RANDOM IN NATURE. INITIALLY; FOR PERHAPS A PERIOD OF 2 TO 3 SECONDS I HAD DIFFICULTY SEEING OUT OF MY L EYE HOWEVER SHORTLY THEREAFTER; MY EYESIGHT RETURNED TO ALMOST NORMAL WITH JUST A SLIGHT BLURRINESS WHICH SLOWLY FADED AWAY. MY R EYE WAS UNAFFECTED. THE FO; WHO HAD BEEN LOOKING AT THE ARPT OFF THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT; DID NOT SEE THE FLASH AND HIS EYESIGHT WAS UNIMPAIRED. THE REMAINDER OF THE APCH WAS FLOWN NORMALLY AND THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. ON ARR AT THE GATE; I CONTACTED THE TRACON SUPVR TO FOLLOW UP WITH HIM ABOUT ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE HAD. I REPEATED THE ABOVE MENTIONED DETAILS AND THAT THERE WAS REALLY NOTHING FURTHER THAT I COULD ADD. AS I FELT SORENESS IN MY L EYE; I CONTACTED THE DUTY CHIEF PLT AND WE AGREED THAT IT WOULD BE BEST FOR ME TO SEEK A MEDICAL EVALUATION. I REMOVED MYSELF FROM FLT STATUS AND PROCEEDED TO MEDICAL CTR TO HAVE MY EYE CHECKED. THE ER DOCTOR DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NO BLEEDING OR BURNS WITHIN THE EYE AND THAT THERE APPEARED TO BE NO PERMANENT DAMAGE; ALTHOUGH I WAS REQUESTED TO HAVE MY OWN OPHTHALMOLOGIST VERIFY THIS PRIOR TO RETURNING TO FLT STATUS. I AM INDEBTED TO THE APCH CTLRS FOR HAVING NOTIFIED US ABOUT THIS POTENTIAL AS IF I HAD NOT TURNED MY HEAD AT THAT MOMENT TO SPEAK TO THE FO; I WOULD HAVE UNDOUBTEDLY BEEN HIT SQUARE IN THE EYE WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR FAR GREATER INJURY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.