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Consumer Alert: Holiday 'Laser Light' Shows Can Pose Dangers To Pilots

Updated Wednesday, Dec. 9 1:56 p.m.

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Block after block in Howard Beach, homes can go from drab to dazzling with just the flip of a switch.

Many residents are taking an extra step this holiday season, by turning their lawns into a front yard laser light show.

"We didn't have them last year. It's the new addition," one resident told CBS2's David Carlin.

Installing these lights can be tricky as you try to angle them to shine on one property -- sometimes you get spill over. But if lights are not installed properly, they can also shine into the sky -- causing potential dangers for pilots.

Last week an American Airlines pilot approaching Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport reported seeing a blinding flash that was later traced back to a front yard holiday display.

Pilot Mark Drake says he imagines on landing or takeoff the effect could be similar to getting hit with a laser flash from a handheld device -- which happened to him around the holidays four years ago.

"My regular vision was severely distorted for at least a minute and a half," Drake said.

Similar incidents have also been reported in Michigan and California.

CBS2 contacted the FAA about complaints for New York area airports -- no reports here.

"Consumers who buy these new light displays should take precautions to make sure that the lights are hitting their houses and not shining off into the sky," Jim Peters of the FAA said in a statement.

But the laser lights, which remain legal, seem to be here to stay. And they're affordable, too -- costing from about $40 to $100 dollars each.

Employees at two big-box retailers in Norwalk, Connecticut, told WCBS 880's Paul Murnane a laser light system sold quickly when it went on sale in October.

Mark Rosenker, former chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, said awareness is key.

"If you're doing this and you're miles and miles and miles away from an airport, the chances of something happening are probably relatively slim," he said. "Near an airport, it is something that I think you ought to be aware of."

The FAA can only hand out warnings for first-time offenders, but if a homeowner is told to shut off or re-aim a device, they better see the light or risk getting arrested.

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