A Boeing 737 cruising at 34,000 feet over northern Wisconsin was targeted by a laser Sunday, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. Minneapolis air traffic control notified local authorities after the crew reported the beam near County Highway E and Wadell Road in the Town of Bradley. Deputies contacted property owners but were unable to identify a suspect, according to the sheriff’s weekly report carried by Bluejay Radio. The aircraft reported no disruption to the flight.
Flight Data Points to Air Canada
Archived ADS-B data indicates the aircraft may have been Air Canada Flight 1275, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 traveling from Montreal-Trudeau International Airport to Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. The aircraft passed approximately four miles southeast of the reported laser location at about 9:25 p.m. CDT while cruising at 34,000 feet. Air Canada, the FAA and the sheriff’s office have not publicly confirmed that AC1275 was the flight involved.
FAA Tracks Thousands of Strikes
Pilots reported 10,994 laser strikes to the FAA in 2025, a 14% decrease from the previous year. The agency has recorded 337 reported pilot injuries since it began tracking laser strikes in 2010.
“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,” FAA Associate Administrator Ben Supko said in a February FAA release. “But even one laser strike is too many when pilots have hundreds of lives in their hands.”
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