Dana White’s ambitious UFC White House event, dubbed UFC Freedom 250, is being seen as a landmark event in the promotion’s history. However, the spectacle has also been marred by various controversies, including a recent lawsuit. With only a couple of nights to go before the big event on Sunday, a new concern has cropped up after a commercial pilot reported a dangerous safety hazard, alleging that the powerful lights from the event nearly blinded him and his flight crew during an approach to the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

According to a MeidasTouch report, a pilot, on the condition of anonymity, revealed that they had filed “aviation safety reports” after intense lights, used for the UFC Freedom 250 event testing on the South Lawn of the White House, flooded the cockpit while the commercial plane was making a nighttime landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. As per the pilot’s revelation, the impairment caused by the event’s powerful white lighting was “10 times worse than any laser illumination event” they have ever felt and affected the entire crew.

Following the incident, the outlet stated that the pilot had filed reports with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and NASA’s Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS). NASA’s confidential reporting program helps aviation professionals document safety concerns to help avoid aviation accidents. However, the outlet also noted that it’s currently not clear whether any additional flights have faced this issue. After filing the reports, the pilot also reached out to the local FAA office to lodge another report. However, the FAA personnel attending the call told the pilot to contact the White House about the lights. This, as the report notes, does raise a question about the coordination between agencies and those organizing the event. Still, it’s not the first time an issue like that has occurred.

In 2015, similar reports emerged after a pilot named Christina Kurowicki also faced impaired vision due to bright lights from the San Francisco 49ers’ stadium in the Bay Area. After that, six commercial pilots, including Kurowicki, filed complaints with the Federal Aviation Administration against the 49ers’ stadium.

Another pilot raised an even more concerning point, stating that the bright lights could seriously hinder landing and, in an extreme weather situation, where pilots heavily rely on light signals, the lights could even cause the stadium to be mistaken for an actual runway.

The 49ers did not issue an official response at the time following the commercial pilots’ complaints. In the same vein, UFC has also not clarified anything regarding the UFC Freedom 250 lights allegedly causing disruption to flights. Now, with more details yet to unfold, the promotion has apparently tightened security as it prepares to hold the White House event on June 14.

Secret Service reveals its security plans for UFC White House event

Even before the UFC Freedom 250 event looked like a reality, many could imagine that the security would be top-notch to prevent any hazards during the spectacle. Well, that premonition rang true as a Secret Service official has finally addressed it.

According to a WUSA report, D.C. public safety officials, including DC Police, the U.S. Secret Service, and the U.S. Park Police, hosted a joint press conference concerning the UFC White House event. During the conference, they revealed that the safety parameters would be mainly concentrated around the Washington Monument. However, the actual perimeter would stretch from the National Mall to downtown D.C.’s Golden Triangle neighborhood. But that’s not all.

They also revealed that the Arlington Bridge would close from 6:00 p.m. while deploying overwatch drones to maintain tactical safety measures during the event.

“Beyond our visible presence and screening, our multi-layered security plan includes overwatch drones, and advanced counter drone technology, protective intelligence, specialized tactical teams, and other unseen resources to identify and address potential threats,”  Tara McLeese, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Secret Service, said.

On top of that, there will also be flyovers for the UFC event, which could further impact flights going in and out of the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. However, the specific timings of the flyovers weren’t revealed at the time.

While the UFC has prepared all sorts of top-class safety measures for the event, it recently faced heavy rain that delayed today’s press conference. However, Dana White has already assured that the promotion has been taking the necessary precautions and safety measures to ensure the show can go on, no matter what comes their way.