Pilots Once Again Hit With Lasers Over New Jersey, New York

— -- Five pilots flying over New York and New Jersey reported spotting green lasers beamed towards their planes last night, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

Just last week, 11 commercial pilots reported their cockpits illuminated by lasers in the same general region – including one who later complained of blurry vision.

Because it can flash-blind pilots, shining a laser at an aircraft’s cockpit is a federal crime, carrying a potential five-year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine.

Yet as lasers become more and more affordable, attacks are on the rise. Last year, the FAA reported 3,894 laser events nationwide — and pilots have already experienced more than 2,750 laser incidents this year.

"We've actually seen an increase, and that trend is not good for the safety of the traveling public," Capt. Tim Canoll, President of the Air Line Pilots Association, told ABC News.

"It basically impairs the ability to see outside the aircraft, which is important, and even more importantly, it can impair or completely obliterate the ability to see the instruments of the aircraft," Canoll added. "If the general public sees somebody shining a laser into the sky, they should call 911 immediately."

Authorities are particularly concerned about green lasers, which are more powerful than typical red lasers and could severely impair pilots mid-flight.

Amid a spate of recent attacks -- including nine in Dallas alone Tuesday night -- the feds are cracking down.

Last night in Dallas, authorities arrested a 23-year-old man for illumination of an aircraft with intense light -- and confiscated his laser.