Narrative:

As I turned my gaze from right side cockpit window; I observed a reflected flash from the left side of the cockpit. The captain was looking out of the left cockpit side window at the same moment and asked me if I saw 'that flash.' I informed him that I only saw the reflection; and noted that there were some very distant lightning flashes also visible off to the right of the aircraft. We were VMC; on top of a layer of very thin cirrus in dark conditions. The cockpit lights were off with very low integral instrument lighting. Approximately one minute later; the captain stated that he initially thought the flash was some static discharge from the aircraft; but that it was too bright (we did not have the flight conditions typical of static discharge events). He then asked rhetorically if that might have been one of those unauthorized lasers. This made it clear to me that he had observed something far more intense than I had perceived. Based upon the elimination of any other apparent source of light; and the sensations the captain was feeling in his eyes and with his suggestion; I made an 'unauthorized laser' report over the ind ARTCC. I included all of the operational information noted at the beginning of this report; including an estimate that the source of the light appeared to have come from the southwest; or from a bearing of about 220 degrees magnetic referenced from the aircraft. After several more minutes; the captain complained of less than clear vision; but nothing 'too serious.' we landed on runway 14R at ord approximately fifty minutes later. During the remaining flight; the captain complained of sensitivity in his eyes; particularly the right eye; while also stating that his vision seemed to be 'ok.' once on the gate with the opportunity to directly observe the captain's eyes in good conditions; it was obvious that his eyes were extremely bloodshot with what appeared to have been blistering and possible bleeding at the inside corner of his right eye. He was then complaining of increased discomfort in both eyes; and blurred vision in the right eye. During the parking maneuver; it was necessary to aim the cockpit towards fluorescent lights on the terminal building. These white lights caused the captain significant discomfort. At the direction of the duty manager; I accompanied the captain to the hospital near the airport so that a physician could examine his eyes. We remained at the hospital until xa:00 am local time; and returned to the hotel at approximately xb:00 local time. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter (first officer) stated that the captain's exterior eye damage was verified by a former military pilot physician at a destination emergency room. The captain's retina was not damaged; but his normal 20-15 vision was temporarily 20-60. The reporter stated that speaking with the captain recently; he learned that the fbi has contacted the captain and interviewed him about this event. The light appeared to have a greenish white hue emanating at or near the aircraft's flight altitude. The reporter saw the light momentarily in his peripheral vision while the captain had a direct hit as he looked out his left window. The reporter learned that military lasers are not normally in the visible light spectrum and so he cannot guess what this laser's source was.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 CAPT SUSTAINED AN EYE INJURY FROM A SUSPECTED LASER LIGHT HIT AT FL360 NEAR CKB VOR.

Narrative: AS I TURNED MY GAZE FROM R SIDE COCKPIT WINDOW; I OBSERVED A REFLECTED FLASH FROM THE L SIDE OF THE COCKPIT. THE CAPT WAS LOOKING OUT OF THE L COCKPIT SIDE WINDOW AT THE SAME MOMENT AND ASKED ME IF I SAW 'THAT FLASH.' I INFORMED HIM THAT I ONLY SAW THE REFLECTION; AND NOTED THAT THERE WERE SOME VERY DISTANT LIGHTNING FLASHES ALSO VISIBLE OFF TO THE R OF THE ACFT. WE WERE VMC; ON TOP OF A LAYER OF VERY THIN CIRRUS IN DARK CONDITIONS. THE COCKPIT LIGHTS WERE OFF WITH VERY LOW INTEGRAL INSTRUMENT LIGHTING. APPROX ONE MINUTE LATER; THE CAPT STATED THAT HE INITIALLY THOUGHT THE FLASH WAS SOME STATIC DISCHARGE FROM THE ACFT; BUT THAT IT WAS TOO BRIGHT (WE DID NOT HAVE THE FLT CONDITIONS TYPICAL OF STATIC DISCHARGE EVENTS). HE THEN ASKED RHETORICALLY IF THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN ONE OF THOSE UNAUTHORIZED LASERS. THIS MADE IT CLEAR TO ME THAT HE HAD OBSERVED SOMETHING FAR MORE INTENSE THAN I HAD PERCEIVED. BASED UPON THE ELIMINATION OF ANY OTHER APPARENT SOURCE OF LIGHT; AND THE SENSATIONS THE CAPT WAS FEELING IN HIS EYES AND WITH HIS SUGGESTION; I MADE AN 'UNAUTHORIZED LASER' RPT OVER THE IND ARTCC. I INCLUDED ALL OF THE OPERATIONAL INFO NOTED AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS RPT; INCLUDING AN ESTIMATE THAT THE SOURCE OF THE LIGHT APPEARED TO HAVE COME FROM THE SOUTHWEST; OR FROM A BEARING OF ABOUT 220 DEGS MAGNETIC REFERENCED FROM THE ACFT. AFTER SEVERAL MORE MINUTES; THE CAPT COMPLAINED OF LESS THAN CLEAR VISION; BUT NOTHING 'TOO SERIOUS.' WE LANDED ON RWY 14R AT ORD APPROX FIFTY MINUTES LATER. DURING THE REMAINING FLT; THE CAPT COMPLAINED OF SENSITIVITY IN HIS EYES; PARTICULARLY THE R EYE; WHILE ALSO STATING THAT HIS VISION SEEMED TO BE 'OK.' ONCE ON THE GATE WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO DIRECTLY OBSERVE THE CAPT'S EYES IN GOOD CONDITIONS; IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT HIS EYES WERE EXTREMELY BLOODSHOT WITH WHAT APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN BLISTERING AND POSSIBLE BLEEDING AT THE INSIDE CORNER OF HIS R EYE. HE WAS THEN COMPLAINING OF INCREASED DISCOMFORT IN BOTH EYES; AND BLURRED VISION IN THE R EYE. DURING THE PARKING MANEUVER; IT WAS NECESSARY TO AIM THE COCKPIT TOWARDS FLUORESCENT LIGHTS ON THE TERMINAL BUILDING. THESE WHITE LIGHTS CAUSED THE CAPT SIGNIFICANT DISCOMFORT. AT THE DIRECTION OF THE DUTY MANAGER; I ACCOMPANIED THE CAPT TO THE HOSPITAL NEAR THE ARPT SO THAT A PHYSICIAN COULD EXAMINE HIS EYES. WE REMAINED AT THE HOSPITAL UNTIL XA:00 AM LOCAL TIME; AND RETURNED TO THE HOTEL AT APPROX XB:00 LOCAL TIME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR (FO) STATED THAT THE CAPT'S EXTERIOR EYE DAMAGE WAS VERIFIED BY A FORMER MIL PLT PHYSICIAN AT A DEST EMER ROOM. THE CAPT'S RETINA WAS NOT DAMAGED; BUT HIS NORMAL 20-15 VISION WAS TEMPORARILY 20-60. THE RPTR STATED THAT SPEAKING WITH THE CAPT RECENTLY; HE LEARNED THAT THE FBI HAS CONTACTED THE CAPT AND INTERVIEWED HIM ABOUT THIS EVENT. THE LIGHT APPEARED TO HAVE A GREENISH WHITE HUE EMANATING AT OR NEAR THE ACFT'S FLT ALT. THE RPTR SAW THE LIGHT MOMENTARILY IN HIS PERIPHERAL VISION WHILE THE CAPT HAD A DIRECT HIT AS HE LOOKED OUT HIS L WINDOW. THE RPTR LEARNED THAT MIL LASERS ARE NOT NORMALLY IN THE VISIBLE LIGHT SPECTRUM AND SO HE CANNOT GUESS WHAT THIS LASER'S SOURCE WAS.

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.