( CNN ) -- The FAA has seen the light . And it wants to put an end to it . Federal Aviation Administration officials on Wednesday plan to announce they will impose civil penalties on people who point lasers into the cockpit of aircraft . The number of pilots reporting being targeted by lasers nearly doubled last year to 2,836 , up from 1,527 the previous year , the FAA said . Officials say the increase is likely attributable to the increased availability of cheap and powerful laser pointers , to the introduction of green lasers which are more easily seen , and to increased reporting of laser events by pilots . `` Shining a laser into the cockpit of an aircraft is not a joke , '' FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said in a statement . `` These lasers can temporarily blind a pilot and make it impossible to safely land the aircraft , jeopardizing the safety of the passengers and people on the ground . '' To date , the government has dealt with the problem largely through a hodgepodge of state and local laws . But on Wednesday , the FAA planned to release a legal interpretation concluding that laser beams can interfere with a flight crew performing its duties while operating an aircraft , a violation of federal aviation regulations . In the past , the FAA has used the regulation against passengers on board aircraft who interfere with an aircraft 's crew . The maximum civil penalty the FAA can impose for violating the regulation is $ 11,000 per violation . `` Our top priority is protecting the safety of the traveling public , '' Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement . `` We will not hesitate to take tough action against anyone who threatens the safety of our passengers , pilots and air transportation system . '' A bill that would criminalize purposefully aiming a laser device at aircraft is currently pending in Congress . While the problem is compounded by the difficulty of tracking down offenders , several individuals have been caught in recent years , usually with the assistance of local police officials in helicopters and on the ground . Last year , Los Angeles International Airport recorded 102 laser events -- the highest number of laser events in the country for a single airport . Chicago O'Hare International Airport was a close second , with 98 reports , and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport tied for third with 80 each . So far this year , the Phoenix and Dallas-Fort Worth areas each have recorded more than 45 laser events , the FAA said . The Los Angeles , Philadelphia and Houston areas each have recorded more than 30 laser events . The FAA first began paying close attention to the issue in the mid-1990s . The Food and Drug Administration , which regulates lasers , required outdoor laser light show operators to notify the FAA of proposed laser operations and resolve any objections that the FAA may have . In 2005 , the FAA created a formal reporting system to collect information from pilots . During the first year in operation , nearly 300 reports were collected .
Last year , there were more than 2,800 laser incidents , FAA says . Comment: The lasers aren't really aimed at the plane itself but rather a target that is in front of it ( like an airplane ) The most incidents are reported at Los Angeles International Airport .