It’s True: Using a Cell Phone During Takeoff & Landing Could Cause a Plane Crash
- Posted on June 9, 2011 at 9:54pm by
Billy Hallowell
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If you’re a frequent flier, you are likely more than familiar with the tech warnings airline personnel give prior to takeoff and just before landing: “Ladies and gentlemen, please discontinue the use of portable electronic devices.” While some people choose to ignore or have simply become immune to this all-too-familiar message, new research indicates that the use of various technologies can actually interfere with the operation of an airplane.
Business Insider has more:
Pilots and engineers have identified 75 incidents which may be linked to signal interference from passengers. Among them: “Autopilot disengaged by itself,“ ”left GPS is not reading correctly,“ and ”rapid changes in cabin altitude and altitude control.”
Boeing engineer David Carson says interference occurs when signals hit highly sensitive electronic sensors hidden in the passenger area. These sensors are particularly vulnerable in old planes.
Below, see ABC News delve into this issue further. According to ABC, “Just one cell phone could cause serious issues.”
This report may serve as a major wake-up call to those of us out there who tend to ignore these warnings or dismiss them as pointless meanderings. Will this information dissuade you from using your cell phone or gadget during take off or landing next time you fly?
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Comments (205)
axel@25
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:32pmI’d rather be on a plane with 10 crying babies than with a bunch of psudo-adults that are unable to go for a couple of hours without talking to someone other than the people they’re with. Is there nowhere you can go without someone’s one-sided, too loud conversation about nothing keeping you awake ? Maybe it time to have phone sections on planes (prefably on a wing).
Report Post »Maybe you can use the “unreasonable airline demands”excuse, and actually get some time to just spend on yourself, uninterrupted, alone with your own thoughts…like a mini vacation,
I‘d like cell phones to be turned in when you board so that while you’re relaxing, you can be glad that there is a reduced chance that someone is going to use theirs to remotely detonate something in their checked luggage..
New Dawn Comin
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:28pmMaybe it’s just easier to blame electronics failures on people and thier cell phones than to take the blame for faulty equipment. And if it were true wouldn’t they have banned them already, they’ve banned everything else.
Report Post »Steev
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:27pmI think if cell phones were as detrimental to flying as is claimed, there would be alot of unexplainable plane crashes and not ‘ just recently come to light ’ heresay. This could all be true, but more than likely it’s just the govt. trying to justify an increase in the t.s.a.’s duties ( now they’ll be confiscating cell phones – oh, they’ll be given back to you on your return flight ( better make it a round trip ) but not before they copy every bit of info. you have on there, or your laptop or whatever kind of electronics you bring to the airport.
Report Post »Salamander
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:58pmLifeproject2012–The long and shorts of it, especially if he is trying to show us how adroit he is by using his weiner as a stylus!
Report Post »Whostolemypig
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:26pmIf the small signal from a low power, high frequency device is effecting aircraft controls, every plane in the air needs to be recalled for design flaws. If cellphones effect control of an aircraft how safe are air traffic and weather radar units or cell towers. How safe is it to fly through up links to various satellites, radio telescope beams or sat phones? .
Report Post »violated
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:21pmI still wonder about long term exposure to this type of radiation. As a human yes, as a plane no.
Report Post »davidgaw
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:20pmI am unconvinced. There are, I’m told about 30,000 commercial flights a day in the US–about 10 million a year. Cell phones have been common for at least the last decade, and given the number of times I’ve discovered after a flight that I had forgotten to turn off my phone, it seems a safe bet that a great many of them, perhaps most, have one or more cell phones active during the flight. Yet out of 75 to 100 million flights, they have identified only seventy-five incidents that MAY be linked to cell phone use? It’s hard to see how that result can be considered in any way meaningful. If even a hundredth of a percent of flights were affected, there should be thousands of confirmed incidents, not a few dozen possible ones.
Report Post »ItsallaboutJesus
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:19pmBetterDays
Report Post »Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:03pm
Sad to say, but we ain’t seen nothing yet, put your rally caps on folks Americas in for a rough landing.
Best get right before the Lord, and I’m not kidding.
________________________________________________________________________________
I agree 100%
stlouisdan
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:48pmAgree ! Put down the phone and get on with life and family around you !
Report Post »jb.kibs
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:15pmUsing a cell phone 100 ft from the road can cause cars to crash.
Report Post »I’m not going to say HOW, but they could.. ;D
stlouisdan
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:09pmMy name is Anthony Weiner. I was just sexting the sexy, sugar , stewardess, trying to get a gin and tonic. And then the plane went into a nose dive ! It’s the GOPs fault.
Report Post »ItsallaboutJesus
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:20pmFunny!
Report Post »illuminoddy
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:07pmwow.. i do that all the time.. i send messages until we are in the air, often make phone calls until i cant call anymore.. charge my phone in the bathrooms with my international adapter.. and so on.
never in america, but it seems in other countries alot of people do this, may people talk on the phone all through take off.. on non-American airlines..
scary stuff.
Report Post »illuminoddy
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:21pmi mean MANY people talk on the phone all through take off on many non-American airlines..
Report Post »uncleskull
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:06pmThe airlines will allow cell phone use just as soon as the institute the WIFO (wireless phone) usage fee.
There will be two levels; one for use only when airborn (the costly plan) and the unlimited use (the outrageously costly) plan.
All will be fine then. The additional fees will be used for special EMI filters to allow safe use of cell phones on commercial aircraft.
Report Post »desertdove
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:00pmWell now all the terroist will be sure to bring cheap cell phones on all flights to U.S.A. and right before landing they will all need to call Allahahahaha
Report Post »jb.kibs
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:13pm+Like
Report Post »cr0Wn1
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 10:59pmI thought Myth Busters did a show on this and proved it was not true. I don’t feel real comfortable flying on a plane that can be altered with a cell phone.
Report Post »Inlandmar2
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 10:47pmGee..If all it takes to take down an airplane is a cell phone, why do spend all those billions of dollars on anti aircraft weapons? Maybe we should shoot cells phones at enemy planes.
Report Post »This is nothing more than male bovine droppings.
heavywx
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 10:46pmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phones_on_aircraft
Report Post »heavywx
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 10:53pmJust sayin’
Report Post »Inlandmar2
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 10:44pmTwo words:……The first one is BULL!
Report Post »Chasvs391
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 10:42pmToo many times I see the pompous a-holes leave their phones on or checking messages while taking off or landing. MF think they are too important to comply!
Report Post »Blade
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 10:37pmIt may not bring down a plane but the cabin of an airliner is no place to let people jabber away on a phone. I can not even imagine sitting on a plane for a number of hours listening to people chat away on the phone as loud as they can.
And for all you people that use your cell phones while sitting on the can in a public bathroom. Get a life. Some of us go in there for some peace and quiet time. lol
Report Post »roofster
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 7:28amLove it!
Report Post »standwithIsraelstandwithGod
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 10:30pmNever bought this wives tale-waiting for Mythbusters to debunk it like they did the “cell phone causes gas pumps to blow up” BS.
Report Post »Salamander
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 12:10amSure–definitely try for the Darwin Award! (1) Set cell phone to vibrate and maybe, just maybe, the vibrating motor will spark a waft of gas–boom! or, (2) Talk on phone whilst filling tank. Just for kicks, hold the nozzle, just so there is NO metal-to-metal contact! It would just about guarantee a static spark from the running fluid! Add a sweater or Winter jacket if you really want to assure a BOOM!
Report Post »rpercifield
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 10:24pmSo, a cell phone will interfere with the avionics. If that is true, then, the easiest way to take down an airliner would be to have a transmitter at the appropriate frequency and presto instant pancake. No, all of these reports are anecdotal hogwash. They know whether a cell phone will bring down a plane, with RFI Radio Frequency Interference. To build an aircraft that is not immune to RFI would be insane. If it was as dangerous as they state, you would not be ale to take off until the plane had been swept of all RF emissions with a field strength meter. Even the FAA knows that cell phones do not cause the systems to crash, and has floated the idea several times to lift the ban. However, if they did lift the ban, then the airlines would not be able to charge for the use of the useless phones on the back of the seats. It isn’t loss of control of the aircraft they are worried about it is the loss of revenue from those seat phones. When they figure out how to make money from a cell phone, then they will welcome them with open arms.
Report Post »Welcome Black Carter
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 10:43pmExactly. And how come it then becomes perfectly safe to use electronics when in flight…
Report Post »jb.kibs
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:11pmbecause that’s not the most important part? taking off and landing is.. that is when you die.
if you’re flying and up that high, chances are you can tell people to turn them off and regain control before you crash…
I still don’t believe the cell phones are going to cause some interference in their instruments.. do they in any other instruments on any other piece of machinery? no. I’m just saying.. that’s why they might allow it during flight. cause they don’t want to take any chances..
Report Post »corbecket
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:26pm@Rpercifield,
“So, a cell phone will interfere with the avionics. If that is true, then, the easiest way to take down an airliner would be to have a transmitter at the appropriate frequency and presto instant pancake. No, all of these reports are anecdotal hogwash.”
Well, if microwave energy will do it, then it has already taken down a Blackhawk military helicopter. I can’t really say that there have been others, but my 20+ year gig driving airliners about, exposed me to a few instances where the use of cellphones did interfere with my navigation systems. Yes, by definition, my experience was “anecdotal”, but I would hardly call it “hogwash”.
Cellphone on – Nav system no workee. Cellphone off – Nav system workee. It happens. While it’s no scientific study, it was enough to convince the crew at pointy end that those phones should be off.
Oh, and the Mythbusters show was hardly a scientific study. Are you aware that there are literally thousands of avionics systems and combinations in the population of airliners? Nobody has tested every cellphone with every airliner, but that is what you would have to do to make a global pronouncement that celllphones are OK, and that the “myth” was “hogwash”.
All I can say with certainty is that on that plane, a cellphone was doing very bad things to my LOC/GS system. I realize that it is “inconvenient” for pax’s to turn off there cellphones, but I have little sympathy for folks that can’t flip one switch when
Report Post »Cujo555
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 10:22pmCan’t quite figure why some people seem to think the “rules” don’t apply to them. They surely know where all the navigation antennae are in relation to their seat. They are so sure their electronic device won’t have an adverse effect, they are willing to bet your life and theirs that they’re smarter than the experts.
Report Post »Mxenno
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 10:12pmConfirmed on an episode of “Mythbusters.” http://radicalsurvivalism.com
Report Post »freedom4ever
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 10:02pmoh how i hated telling people over and over again to turn off their phones! they would sneak them under their coats, hoods and what ever so they could stay on them. they should outlaw phones on planes! pain in the butt for all flight attendants!!
Report Post »Patrick in AZ
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 10:25pmYou’re for freedom, but you think “there ought to be a law”?
Report Post »Wingnut80
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:15pmOK, I‘m not going to state categorically that cell phones can’t cause issues, but I’m pretty damn sceptical. As a electronics tech we ran into weird occurrences that we were unable to account for. Some people call it FM (effin magic) but if you had to give an answer for the failure, the inside joke was sun spots or solar flares. I have probably seen 30 or more people on flights that either ignored the Flight Attendant or pretended to comply and then continued to use the device. If there have been only 75 incidents that were attributed to cell phones, and those are just because nothing else was discovered, on all the thousands and thousands of flights. Than I will remain sceptical of sun spots, I mean cell phones causing problems with avionics.
Report Post »foobear
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 3:01amI’m with Wingnut. Freedom4Eva, don’t believe the news article – it’s full of anecdotes and hearsay, and no real evidence.
Large aircraft systems are incredibly overengineered, and reject spurious inputs. The chances of a weak RF signal causing interference that matters is nearly non-existent.
General aviation, maybe not so much.
Report Post »LifeProject2012
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 10:00pmCAlling the Pilots in the cockpit during takeoffs and landings has also produced interference.
Report Post »foobear
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 2:07amIt’s actually doubtful that interference caused any of that. They identified random electronic glitches, but the notion that a cell phone could cause an autopilot to disengage is fantastically unlikely. Much more likely that the higher number of cosmic rays (which can flip bits in computer memory) caused it… or human error.
You would think that the Boeing EE’s were all kindergarteners by the way that these computers are supposedly failing left and right. (They’re not.)
Report Post »101
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 6:12amThis is flight 160 to control…(go ahead 160)…please hold all radio transmissions…this is flight 160 ready for takeoff do not confirm… over……………………………flight 160 to tower…(go ahead 160)… flight 160 is airborne all instruments are good…you’re free to transmit…(roger that 160)
Report Post »TomFerrari
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 9:07am@101 – i hope you’re joking.
Avionics and avionics radios are specifically designed to VERY… VERY high specifications with extremely tight tolerances.
A well designed, well built, cell phone could indeed be built and designed such that it would not interfere with avionics. However you couldn’t have your super-slim, super-tiny phones.
Avionics are big and heavy and bulky and bult tough. They are extremely expensive, because of all the testing and certification that goes into their production.
Do you want to pay $6,500.00 for a cell phone that is safe to use in flight?
Or, just turn your iphone off for a few minutes.
SHEESH!!
****************************************************************************
THE ENTITLEMENT ATTITUDE IS ALIVE AND WELL, IT SEEMS!
****************************************************************************
TURN EM OFF !
Report Post »101
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 11:04am@TomFerrari
I wuz be in a smart *zz…did you really have to ask. LMAO : )
Ticks me off when people leave them on in the doctors office!
Report Post »dealer@678
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 9:59pmIts far more dangerous to allow a muslin on that plane. Period
Report Post »LifeProject2012
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 10:02pmOr getting a text from Anthony Wiener.
Report Post »PrfctlyFrank
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 10:05pmTell the TSA.. We all know it already..
Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 10:08pmOne more thing the administration will use to try and ban or heavily regulate so it becomes one more set of control shackels about our arms and ankles.
Report Post »cheezwhiz
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 10:11pmLifeProject2012
Report Post »Or getting a text from Anthony Wiener.
————
specially if it is the stewardess getting his text
SacredHonor1776
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 10:17pmIn some European airlines cell phones and wifi services are permissible and even offered. I haven’t heard of them suffering direct havoc from it…
Report Post »RavenGlenn
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 10:23pmThey tested this on Mythbusters and found it did NOTHING at all. Even the pilots they talked to said it was a joke.
Report Post »Welcome Black Carter
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 10:40pmOld wives tale. Just like turning the engine off on your car when you fill up…
Report Post »TomFerrari
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 10:40pmAs a commercial pilot,
I can say there is in fact a risk of interference with avionics.
However, as a passenger, I have asked multiple people to turn off their devices.
Two have been belligerent and refused. As a passenger, I informed the flight crew/attendants.
One of them told me to sit down and be quiet.
The other told the offender to humor me.
WTF??
Of course, as an engineer, I also know that there is no such thing as “OFF” on many phones anymore.
It seems the frequencies are close enough, that poor design / construction / specifications allow some cell phones to broadcast on a frequency beyond that which they are authorized. I understand this is due to low quality components. So it sounds like it is the cheaper or older phones that would be more at issue. I don’t know that, I’m just putting 2 and 2 together.
Report Post »Force2bewreckin
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 10:59pmMake a better plane. This is crazy!
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:01pmAgain to me, this just seems one more door being opened that the administration will use to post even more restrictions and hastles upon our few remaining freedoms left for travel.
The MYTHBUSTERS episode where they did test this myth out indeed found no results at all; and even the piolets did say it was just a myth. So what needs to be seen is if anyone else supports or decries the story here with proof that has been scientifically tested to the best of all abilities.
Something here still does not feel right.
Report Post »BetterDays
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:03pmSad to say, but we ain’t seen nothing yet, put your rally caps on folks Americas in for a rough landing.
Report Post »Best get right before the Lord, and I’m not kidding.
Sound The Trumpet In Zion
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:04pmSo now I guess the TSA will start groping your cell phone after they get done groping you. Of course the muslims and their cell phones will be able to pass right through with even having to slow down because napolitano thinks it is not needed to profile the muslims and their cell phones.
Report Post »coryf076
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:07pmBS….I’ve flown extensively, had platinum status which allowed me to fly first class and sit next to pilots and co-pilots….I spoke with all of them extensively about this and they say there is absolutely no way a cell phone or signal could bring down a plane.
If this were true radical muslims would be flying around all over the world with multiple cell phones turned on trying to bring them down
We better outlaw cell phone on planes now….maybe we’ll all have to hand them to the flight attendants and get them back at the end of the flight….
Report Post »the_ancient
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:25pmAs was tested before the Mythbusters confirmed Cell Phones do not effect commercial modern aircraft.
If they do, or if there is infact a case of that happening then that airplane needs to be grounded has the shielding around the avionics is bad and cell phones will be the least of their problems…
Report Post »Uranium Wedge
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:29pmI don’t know… That six year old boy looks pretty dangerous.
Report Post »101
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:30pmWhat a line of BS…welcome to the cattle cars in the skies!
Report Post »KICKILLEGALSOUT
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:37pmWell in that case, to have a safe flight make sure there are no Muslims on board and make sure Arianna Huffington isn’t on board.
Report Post »BlueStrat
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:38pmI’ve been an avionics technician and radio communications technician for longer than I care to admit. :)
This is something which I’ve told countless people over the years, that this actually *IS* a completely valid and necessary rule (turning off personal electronics). One need only understand two basic ideas;
1) Any conductors (wires, cables, nearby devices) near any source of radio-frequency energy (cellphone, satphone, transmitter, or devices that ‘leak’ radio-frequency energy like a laptop, smartphone, etc) will absorb a portion of that energy and cause a not-insignificant amount of voltage & current to flow in those conductors.
2) Aircraft Design: There are many delicate instruments, sensors, etc etc in an aircraft. Much of the “boxes” that contain the working portions of the aircraft electronics (or “avionics”) are located in the tail and belly, with just the dials, lights, switches, and displays in the cockpit. That means long cables carrying data and commands back & forth nearly the entire length of the aircraft. The radar-altimeter antennas, glideslope/approach marker antennas, and more are mounted mid-fuselage.
Conclusion: Using your own judgement rather than following the flight crew’s instructions regarding personal electronics is extremely irresponsible, reckless, and possibly the last rule you’ll *ever* break.
I thought someone with some actual knowledge & experience in avionics should clarify some basic facts for purposes of productive
Report Post »WH
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:39pmIt is not dangerous to let a Muslim on a plane. The vast majority of muslims are not trying to blow planes up. There are an estimated 40,000 Taliban members and 1.57 billion muslims in the world. That is 0.0025 percent. Granted, there are violent groups in addition to the Taliban.
Because of this, EL AL airlines profiles in much more effective way than just looking for muslims.
The war of ideas will not be won by generalizing all members of a religion, unless you can strongly prove it empirically.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 11:48pmWith an out of control TSA and no profiling .. I don’t understand why anyone is flying in the first place .. I WON’T
TEA!
Report Post »cheezwhiz
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 12:01amWH
Report Post »It is not dangerous to let a Muslim on a plane.
—————-
Not all muslims on planes want to crash that plane.
All those who have / wanted to crash / blow up the plane they are on, have been muslims.
You need just ONE muslim to bring down a plane and kill EVERYONE aboard.
Until you can formulate a fool proof absolutely 100% accurate (with NO chance of error EVAH )operating procedure for TSA which will work IN ADVANCE of the plane blowing up , there is nothing wrong with paying special attention to muslims and their real intents when they want to board any flight. All it takes is just ONE muslim.
JUST ONE.
We have too many deaths to prove it
Salamander
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 12:02amWelcomebackcarter–clearly, you have NEVER seen what happens if a fuel OR oil line breaks near the air intake of a diesel, or taken a look at a running gasoline-spark engine at night when sparks are flying around old plug wires or the brushes are arcing on an alternator or generator! Me, I’ll shut off the engine EVERY TIME, AND I’ll make sure the hose is grounded to the vehicle PRIOR to commencing pumping! Boom, boom, boom, boom!
Report Post »Salamander
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 12:04amHey, you could try for the Darwin Award and get everybody on board to use their cell phones on final approach in Cat 3 conditions! One thing’s for sure–the plane WILL ARRIVE!
Report Post »nzkiwi
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 12:12amWhat a load of rubbish. The signals that cell phones emit are minute. I don‘t know why this old line is being pushed but it’s nonsense. Do your own research.
Report Post »nzkiwi
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 12:24amI should add that Boeing themselves have carried out tests and found no effect. (Note to TomFerrari and Bluestrat). The most publicised test was of course the Mythbuster’s one but many other more scientifically controlled tests have been carried out. Result? No correlation.
When the pilots believed that a cell phone had caused a problem in the cockpit, Boeing went as far as to buy the cell phone and carry out a test. No anomoly. They then multiplied the output. They could not make the cell phone reproduce the anomoly.
It is all just nonsense – including the notion that cell phones are banned because the FAA/ airlines don’t want to pay for the tests.
Report Post »ronaldg261
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 12:26amIf TSA was truly interested in airline safety, they would PROFILE. There is no reason to pretend that terrorists are little American children or older women.
Report Post »click_name_4_impeachment
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 12:40amI’m no expert, but when I was younger I did study some books, because I wanted to be a pilot…
But should Auto pilot really be engaged during take off or landing???
Report Post »ME
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 12:40amI call Bull @@@@!!! and Muslims are far more dangerous on a plane then cell phones great first:) :)
great excuse for pilots to cover there @@@ lets see it duplicated in a controlled environment if real???
Report Post »Okieflyover
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 1:16amI thought they were rolling out the use of cell phones on planes on some airlines. I might be wrong but I could have sworn I saw that somewhere.
Report Post »the_ancient
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 1:25am@BLUESTRAT
If your really a Avionics Tech then you should know that while in an unshielded environment many cell phones, and most other source of Electromagnetic will interfere with Avionics, INCLUDING NATURALLY OCCURRING EM ANOMALIES,, Solar Storms, and about 100,000 other things, This is the reason all modern avionics the their wiring is SHIELDED from EM interference. If a minor cell phone signal is interfering with a piece of shielded avionics there is ALOT MORE wrong than the cell phone.
I bet you believe that Cell Phones can cause your car to blow up if you pump gas while talking as well
Report Post »evilzoot
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 3:23amAs an A&P/Avionics Tech for many years myself, I will have to totally disagree with this article and what bluestrat posted. While technically bluestrat is correct in what he is saying, the important thing he forgot to mention is that all the critical signals that move in those various wires and cables are always shielded to prevent interference.
There are literally thousands if not millions of various signals in the air at any given time (radio, sunspots, radiation, etc.) that could cause interference with an aircraft. If an aircraft has no trouble with all that, then a puny signal from a cell phone should be no problem.
And I haven’t even mentioned the systems on the aircraft itself that could cause interference with its own systems. HF radio, VHF Radio, Radar, Radar Altimeter, TCAS, Ignitors and Exciters, A/C Generators, Inverters, Flourescent Lights etc. Some aircraft are even equipped with Microwave Ovens, Aircell phones and WiFi internet. All of these systems mentioned emit strong electromagnetic energy. Some are in use sporadically thru the flight and others are in use for the entire flight. Yet millions of flights happen each year with no problems.
Finally, on this last note I may be wrong, but it is my understanding that it is actually an FCC regulation that cell phones be turned off because cell phone signals operate line of site and can access too many towers from the air thereby clogging cell systems. Maybe someone can comment on that particular as
Report Post »kryptonite
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 3:29amWH: The vast majority of muslims are not trying to blow planes up. There are an estimated 40,000 Taliban members and 1.57 billion muslims in the world. That is 0.0025 percent. Granted, there are violent groups in addition to the Taliban.
——–
Good grief! Tonight we’ve got a surplus of liberal ignorance on The Blaze. What do you mean by “there are violent groups in addition to the Taliban?” The Taliban are localized in the Af-Pak region. Did you mean al-Qaeda?
Who cares if 99% of Muslims aren’t trying to blow up planes? What matters is that those who do are all Muslims. When’s the last time a non-Muslim tried to/blew up a passenger jet?
Report Post »nzkiwi
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 3:53amWell, well. On New Zealand TV news tonoight there was an item on cell phones in planes. Now I allow coincidences are a perfectly normal occurence.
Except in politics.
Report Post »VaModMember
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 6:57amI work in the field of RF causing problems in Electronics for a living and I can tell you that IN THEORY you caan bring a plane down. And I can also tell you that it is possible to design planes and equipment in such a way as to prevent it. But that costs MONEY, WEIGHT and TIME. And once designed you need to test it and that is more MONEY and TIME. And the FAA is more interested in promoting flying that in protecting those who are in the air. ALWAYS HAS BEEN. Want to learn more about this?? GOOGLE either EMV or “Electromagnetic Vulnerability”
Report Post »Opinionmonger
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 7:27amcar kill more children every year than cell-phone downed airplanes on the whole world.
Report Post »Pools kill and bicycles kill more children everry year than cell-phone based crashed.
Lets ban CHILDREN!
IT IS ALL FOR THE BAAAABIEEEESSSSS!
cemerius
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 7:31amAnother scare story to justify further “anal probing” at the gates?
Report Post »TomFerrari
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 8:52amIt is NOT that phones WILL bring a plane down. It is just that they COULD cause a VARIATION or INNACURACY on the instruments the pilots use to fly the plane!
Now, pilots have many, many instruments they use to fly the plane, so it is extremely unlikely that it could ever cause a plane to actually crash. The most likely scenario is that the pilots would recognize one of the instruments was intermittently inaccurate, and would flag it as “INOP”, and would rely upon other instruments to continue their flight. Thus, it is extremely unlikely that it would bring a plane down.
Having said that… Do you REALLY want to take instruments AWAY from the pilot who has your life in his hands?
Come, ON !!
These fine men and women are tasked with hundreds of lives. Every time they land the plane safely, they have saved your life.
Is turning off your dam cell phone REALLY so much to ask?
Or, are you so egotistical, so selfish, so self-centered, that you can’t stop texting for 5 minutes.
SHEESH!!
The airlines aren’t just trying to trick you into not making a phone call, folks!
Airlines are businesses with profit motives. There is no profit in you turning your phone on or off.
Maybe if aircrew started booting you off the plane when you show your arrogance by refusing to turn off your phone, you might start obeying the FEDERAL LAWS.
Report Post »(technically, ‘Federal Aviation Regulations’)
santramir
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 9:11amor your boss
Report Post »Who would Jesus bomb?
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 9:19amYes, I would way rather look over and see someone texting or playing Scrabble on their Blackberry than to see a Muslim male between the ages of 15 and 35. No sarcasm intended.
Report Post »Dale
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 9:25amTom;
…and getting five. The article said MAY cause problems. People use any theory to explain something they do not understand. There is no actual proof that cell phone use causes problems. As a pilot/engineer can you provide ONE example where a cell phone caused problems, except in Penn. on 9/11.
Report Post »stogieguy7
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 10:06amNothing in this story proves that “It’s True: Using a Cell Phone During Take Off and Landing Can Cause A Crash” as the headline implies. No more than the proof that excessive cell phone use causes cancer. Now, the analogy is apt – because it’s possible that both things have some low probability truth to them. But proven? Not at all.
Now, it is not a good idea to allow people to yammer away on cellphones during takeoff, landing, etc. for a number of reasons. And, cell phone use while in the air can tie up dozens of local cell sites on the ground (if you can even get a signal at 35,000 feet). But, if a cell phone can cause a crash, so can the wifi that airlines are fitting their planes with. The physics are the same. So no, I don’t buy this breathless report from ABC. More bad science on display.
Report Post »jetblast3500
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 10:20amI find it interesting that the people here using the Mythbusters episode as proof that this is “Busted” apparently are cherry picking want they want out of it. The episode also showed that unshielded / improperly shielded wiring CAN be affected by cell phone transmissions. While a properly built new aircraft is shielded from such interference, any number of things can cause the shielding to become ineffective: age, wear and tear, improper repair, etc…
On those aircraft that have the built in phones, their wiring is routed away from critical systems to reduce the chance of interference. And the wifi setups work on reduced power as your laptop, IPad, etc… only have to transmit a few feet to the router (instead of a tower on the ground), significantly reducing the chance of interference. These items are also only on newer aircraft that have had extra shielding and engineering done to reduce the chance of interference.
If everything was always built to specification, stayed in perfect condition, and was always repaired to code then yes, cell phones wouldn’t be a problem. But, we all know that isn’t the case. Everything degrades, not every repair is perfect, and manufacturing flaws occur. So I’m good with no cells on planes.
Report Post »Larryjr
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 11:57amGot that right.
Report Post »Bum thrower
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 12:11pmRight; especially if he has a phone!!
Report Post »SoCalConservative88
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 12:52pm@dealer@678: hahahahahaha
Report Post »BlueStrat
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 4:13pm@ The_Ancient
“This is the reason all modern avionics the their wiring is SHIELDED from EM interference.”
—-
Except for the things…like ANTENNAS FOR GLIDESLOPE, NAVIGATION, ALTITUDE, AND MORE…that because of their very purpose…PICKING UP RADIO ENERGY…cannot be shielded. Besides, not everything is as shielded as you would think. Shielding costs money. Only military aircraft that might be expected to keep flying after a nuclear blast & EMP pulse are 100% shielded.
And yes, I was factory-trained on the entire Collins Avionics Microline and Proline suites, and had a RADAR cert. I also helped develop next-generation ASROC guidance systems, as well as helped with developing training materials and equipment used at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station. My last gig was installing and testing custom avionics suites in private & corporate jets.
Report Post »oneavid
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 5:38pmYes, we sure don’t want any shirts from
Report Post »india onboard.
netman349
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 6:54pmI agree.
Report Post »McClarinJ
Posted on June 11, 2011 at 12:52pmWay off base. Whether muslin, velveteen, or synthetic knit, you have nothing at all to fear from cloth. Of course you probably meant Muslim not muslin.
Report Post »jackrorabbit
Posted on June 12, 2011 at 12:15amOH what a load of bull…. Mythbusters totally destroyed this in an episode. All of the cables that the pilots use are insulated against solar radiation, gee a little cell phone can cause a problem, but flying at 42,000 feet high, where the sun causes a higher percentage of radiation doesn’t. Sorry, this one simply FAILS to compute on ANY plane made since 1950.
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