Regional Jet 200 ER/LR (CRJ200)
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument
Physiological - Other; Distraction
Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Illness / Injury; Inflight Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; General Physical Injury / Incapacitation
Human Factors; Environment - Non Weather Related
While descending into PIB out of 14;000 ft. MSL; our aircraft was repeatedly illuminated by a green laser pointer approximately 100 times over about 5 minutes. The first illumination was from a distance of around 20-30 miles. The aircraft had a failed flight director and autopilot at the time and extra attention was required by both pilots for flight path management. Both pilots were directly hit by the laser on several occasions causing minor vision spotting. We notified approach of the approximate source location as we went over it. The laser continued hitting the aircraft as we flew by illuminating the entire flight deck. We were able to land at PIB without incident. I still have spots in my eyes approximately 1.5 hours after exposure. This was by far the worst encounter I have had with a laser while flying an aircraft.It seems to me that pointing a laser at an aircraft should be made illegal. If that doesn't work; borrowing laser guided bombs from the Air Force might be an option.
CRJ Captain reported that a laser shone repeatedly into the cockpit resulted in distraction and persisting vision spots.