Laser Beam Strikes Boeing 737 at 34,000 Feet Over Northern Wisconsin
Why It MattersLaser-strike reporting gives the FAA a national trend line even when individual cases, like this one, end without an identified suspect or any operational consequence.
What happened
A Boeing 737 cruising at 34,000 feet over northern Wisconsin was struck by a laser beam on Sunday, the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office said. Minneapolis air traffic control alerted local authorities after the flight crew reported the laser near County Highway E and Wadell Road in the Town of Bradley.
The aircraft passed approximately four miles southeast of the reported laser location at around 9:25 p.m. Deputies contacted property owners in the area but were unable to identify a suspect, and the flight crew reported no disruption to the flight.
Nationally, the FAA recorded 10,994 laser strikes reported by pilots in 2025, a 14% decrease from the previous year. The agency has logged 337 reported pilot injuries from laser strikes since it began tracking them in 2010. FAA Associate Administrator Ben Supko said in a February release: "Laser strikes are decreasing, thanks to a strong pilot reporting culture that is providing the data we need for community engagement and work with local law enforcement. But even one laser strike is too many when pilots have hundreds of lives in their hands."
Industry impact & what to watch
This case belongs to a routine but persistent category: a flight crew reports a laser illumination mid-flight, air traffic control relays the location to local law enforcement, and deputies canvass the area without finding a suspect. That sequence plays out thousands of times a year and rarely produces an arrest, because the aircraft has typically moved miles beyond the illumination point before ground units respond.
The reporting system depends on pilots flagging strikes regardless of outcome, which is why the FAA frames the declining national count as a sign of reporting culture rather than reduced risk tolerance. A strike with no disruption, like this one, still adds to the dataset that agencies use to track hot spots and coordinate with local police.
Whether Lincoln County identifies a source will depend on tips from residents near County Highway E and Wadell Road, since the sheriff's office has no suspect description to work from at this stage.
