A 31-year-old New York man has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for aiming a green laser at a Delta Air Lines aircraft as it approached Buffalo Niagara International Airport.
The sentence, announced July 10 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York, closes a case that began with a cockpit report in March 2024. Joseph L. Crapsi of Cheektowaga was convicted of pointing a laser pointer at an aircraft and sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
What happened near Buffalo
According to federal prosecutors, the Delta flight was approaching Buffalo Niagara International Airport when a green laser beam was directed toward the aircraft. Crapsi lived beneath the airport’s flight path.
The criminal complaint filed at the start of the case said the pilot reported a laser illumination lasting roughly 60 to 90 seconds and traced it to an area about one mile south of the approach path. Officers from the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority and Cheektowaga Police later went to a nearby home after receiving another report involving a laser.
The complaint said Crapsi’s parents allowed officers inside and that police recovered a laser pointer from his bedroom. A neighbor also told investigators that a green laser had shone through his kitchen window and had repeatedly been pointed into the sky.
Crapsi was arrested in March 2024 and was later convicted of the federal laser offense. The investigation involved the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Police Department, Cheektowaga Police Department and FBI.
Why a small laser can become a major cockpit hazard
A handheld laser may look like a narrow point of light from the ground, but its beam spreads over distance. When it reaches an aircraft, it can illuminate a large portion of the windscreen and produce glare, flash blindness or lingering afterimages.
Those effects are especially dangerous during an approach or departure. Pilots are close to the ground, workload is high and there is little margin for distraction. Even when a laser does not cause permanent eye damage, a sudden burst of intense light can interrupt visual references and force a crew to discontinue an approach.
The Federal Aviation Administration describes laser illumination as a serious safety threat capable of incapacitating pilots. It is not treated as a prank: intentionally pointing a laser at an aircraft is a federal crime.
The penalties can extend beyond prison
Federal criminal penalties can reach five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Separately, the FAA may pursue civil penalties, while state and local charges can also apply depending on the circumstances.
The 18-month sentence in the Buffalo case is below the federal maximum. Sentencing decisions are based on the facts of the case, federal guidelines and arguments presented to the court; the maximum penalty is not a default sentence.
Laser reports are falling—but remain at an alarming level
The FAA recorded 10,993 laser incidents in 2025, down from 12,840 in 2024 and 13,304 in 2023. That two-year decline is welcome, but the latest annual total still averages about 30 reports every day.
The agency also says pilots have reported hundreds of injuries since it began tracking laser events in 2010. New York accounted for 369 reports in 2025, placing it among the states with the largest number of recorded incidents.
Laser strikes are difficult to prevent because they can originate far from airport property and last only seconds. Rapid reporting by pilots, air traffic controllers and people on the ground gives law-enforcement agencies a better chance of identifying the source.
What witnesses and pilots should do
- Pilots: report the event to air traffic control as soon as workload permits, including color, direction and approximate location.
- People on the ground: contact local law enforcement if they see someone aiming a laser at aircraft.
- Aircraft operators: preserve flight details and crew reports that may help investigators establish timing and location.
The Buffalo case is a reminder that a brief act on the ground can create a high-consequence emergency in the cockpit. The declining national numbers show progress, but nearly 11,000 annual reports make clear that the threat remains far from solved.
