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Risk Management For Electronics on Aircraft
Phronesis writes "M. Granger Morgan and his graduate student Bill Strauss have a nice article in Issues in Science and Technology about the risks posed by electronic devices in flight. Unlike most articles on the subject, this one neither pooh-poohs the risks ('We have estimated that reported events are occurring at a rate of about 15 and perhaps as many as 25 per year') nor exaggerates them ('RF interference from consumer electronics is unlikely to have figured in more than a few percent of commercial air accidents, if any at all, during the past 10 years.'). Instead, it presents a sensible plan for dealing with the risks that will accompany the inevitable expansion of the range of electronic devices passengers will use in flight, including cell phones and wireless computer networking."
That's good news. I was hoping to take a large tesla coil with me the next time I go flying.
Trolling is a art,
If it suddenly comes out that cell phones do nothing to mess up the navigation of an aircraft, do people really expect the airlines to suddenly say "Go ahead and use your cell phones on the flight". They won't they're making too much money off of those $5 / call Airfones.
There's a completely different risk imposed by another kind of electronic device: video cameras. The risk is that passengers will tape the pilot sleeping at the controls.
It's a story problem.
If a guy with a new cellphone built by my company flies from Chicago travelling west at 800 miles per hour, and the navigation system locks up, and the plane crashes and burns with everyone trapped inside, does my company initiate a recall?
You take the number of phones in the air (A) and multiply it by the probable rate of disaster (B), then multiply the result by the average cost of an out-of-court settlement (C).
A times B times C equals X. This is what it will cost if we don't initiate a recall.
If X is greater than the cost of a recall, we recall the phones and no one gets hurt.
If X is less than the cost of a recall, then we don't recall.
Everywhere I go, there's the burned-up wadded-up shell of a plane waiting for me. I know where all the skeletons are. Consider this my job security.
Note to M1-ers: a curt but otherwise insightful message is not "Flamebait" or "Troll".
You can use laptops anytime during the flight, except if you're siting on the left side of the plan flying east, or on the right side flying west. Mobile phones can only be used during five minute intervals the first five minutes of the hour if you in an odd numbered seat row, and at the middle of the hour if you're in an even numbered seat row. If you are sitting in a prime number seat row, don't even think about electronics, unless of course your seat letter is vowel then you can use any electronic devise if you're not using the overhead bin. The use of a Gameboy is only allowed if you're wearing shoes and flying north. Flying in any other direction requires emergency exit seats. Radios are only allowed if you leave them in your bag, stowed under the seat in front of you and you paid our cheap fee for those comfortable headsets and don't sing too loud. If you violate any of these regulations, we'll flush 'em down the blue toilet drain. Yes, even those laptops.
~afniv
"Man könnte froh sein, wenn die Luft so rein wäre wie das Bier"
Richard von Weizs
I saw this one... it's the one where Neo and Sandra Bullock have to keep the plane above 8000 feet or the crazed anthony hopkins blows up the plane. At one point the plane actually jumps a non-built section of highway and clears it to the other side. They finally beat him by standing really still during a recording and looping the video tape while they transfer all the passengers onto another plane.
Hey, look! A real live airline employee posting on this thread! :)