Cell Phones and Air Safety

Cutie Pi writes "On the heels of this recent Slashdot story discussing Wi-Fi use on airplanes, the BBC is reporting about new evidence indicating that cell phones can interfere with airplanes' navigation systems. From the article: "In tests, compasses froze or overshot, navigation bearings were inaccurate and there was interference on radio channels." Look like like Wi-Fi and airplanes just don't mix."

Comments

Cells

[CptChipJew]

Cell Phones don't mix with anything.

Cell + Driving = Death
Cell + Extended Use = Brain Tumor -> Death

Although they've done wonder for the Tiny-Blue-LED Industry.

No Immunity Requirements?

[LinuxInDallas]

For commercial and medical products we have to design based on certain electromagnetic immunity requirements. What's the deal with the equipment on airplanes? I realize that wireless lans probably produce a fair amount of radiation that has to be handled but that's no excuse. I would think EVERY piece of electronics in an airplane would be designed to handle far worse. Why is that stuff so fragile?

Re:No Immunity Requirements?

[DarkBlackFox]

Most airliners in use today were designed and built well before cell phones became mainstream, and well before WiFi standards were adopted. When they were built, there was no need for concern over something that for all intents and purposes, didn't exist.

I'd imagine an overhaul to "cell proof" all commercial planes would cost the already struggling air industry more than they can handle.

Doesn't make sense

[SeattleDave]

Planes are bathed in cell phone radiation just sitting at the gate and certainly during take-offs and landings in busy metro areas. People in the airports and surrounding areas certainly don't curb their use of cell phones. It doesn't make sense to suggest there's a serious danger to airplane navigation. Would we not have seen them before.

ok, but...

[dwgranth]

The article does NOT mention the age of these airplanes.... which does make a big difference since Boeing and Airbus have started shielding their equipment better in their recent airplanes

load of bull

[gobbligook]

What about all the planes that are taking off from the airport in the middle of a city? Are people required to turn off their cells in the airport terminals? Are telcos not allowed to place towers near airports?

I bet those 30+ incidents reported blamed cells because they needed a scapegoat for their lack of good equipment checks.

I once heard a cell phone was blamed for starting a gas station on fire. Perhaps that would be true, except the last I checked circut boards arn't a good source of spark. Next thing you will see is women being baned from wearing makeup and good looking clothing because it is a distraction for the pilots. Give me a break

fix the airplanes

[g4dget]

If navigation and other electronic systems on airplanes malfunction because of consumer devices that are tens of feet away, then there is a problem with the design of airplane electronics that needs to get fixed. Otherwise, airplanes are just way too vulnerable. And transmitters can masquerade as just about any kind of electronics--if they don't get fixed, then pretty much all electronics will have to be banned for security reasons. Just more deterioration of service--"we won't fix it, we'll just make things even more uncomfortable for our customers"--and people wonder why airlines are going bankrupt.

Wait, am I reading this wrong?

[dethl]

Look like like Wi-Fi and airplanes just don't mix.

And yet you link to a story about Cell phones! Cell phones != wi-fi!

/end rant

rules against cellphones

[cronian]

During takeoff and landing, all electronic devies are banned, because they can intefere with airplanes. However, cell phones are banned from the air by the FCC, because they work too well. They don't cell phones on airplanes tying up its frequency in range of 30 base stations, which would cause interference with ground cell stations.

Have you ever heard of an airplane crashing from cell phone usage? If it was really that easy to create safety problems, I'm sure it would happen all the time. Besides, terrorists could easily bring a much more powerful brodcaster onto an airplane. The real reason cell phones are banned, is that airlines don't want competition to their really expensive phones.

What's with the attitude?

[CausticWindow]

Why are everybody going "no damn way, you'll pry this cell phone from my cold dead hands, I need scientific evidence". What about being a bit cautious, or are you all leet electrical engineers?

I have experienced cell phones interfering heavily with electronic equipment on the ground and also in flight, so this isn't a complete fabrication.

While I was flying in a dash8, the fire alarm went off, which was pretty damn scary, I tell you. Later it turned out that a cell phone recieving a call would almost always trigger the fire alaram system in a dash8.

I really don't understand why you are so negative towards this. Do you think it's some kind of airline conspiracy, forcing you to use their expensive phones?

I'm a private pilot

[transient]

I think this preflight briefing between my sister and I sums it up pretty well:

Me: Kat, is your phone off?
Kat: Will my phone really mess up the plane?
Me: I don't know. Do you want to find out?
[Kat turns off her phone.]

My point is that almost none of us are qualified to determine whether mobile phones cause problems for aircraft. (Raise your hand if you're a certificated avionics technician.) Unless you were on one of the September 11 flights, there is not a single phone call so important that it's worth jeopardizing the safety of the flight. All of the people who are getting indignant about not being able to use their precious phones on an aircraft should step back and get some perspective. I'm an instrument-rated pilot, and if you're in my plane when I'm shooting an ILS through a 200 foot ceiling, you damn well better turn that shit off.