August 29, 2005
Cell phones -do- interfere with airplanes
One of the things that truly bugs me are endless disputes about whether or not cell phones can affect avionics… you know, airplanes.
I see these endless disputes on message forums, Microsoft mailing lists, airports, blah blah blah. Typically, they’re full of half baked theories or annecdotal evidence.
“Well, if a cell phone could crash a plane, they would ban them.” (Well, they allow cigarette lighters…)
“I left my cell phone on once, and I survived.” (Oh yeah that’s conclusive…)
“It’s because they want to use the airphones which cost $10 a minute.” (Uh, when was the last time you saw an airphone on AA or AS?)
“Nah.” (Like, yah!)
So here’s some evidence that showed up in a thread I saw one day:
In Britain, a pilot found that his cellphone, on standby, caused Global Positioning System interference during two critical flight phases.
The GPS gave false directions that would have put him in controlled airspace without a clearance.
In 2000, Britain’s Civil Aviation Authority became the first to examine the potential for cellphones to interfere with flight systems.
It showed the phones could affect avionics equipment. The crucial issue is whether they exceed international standards on safe levels of interference.
Apparently, the CAA (the UK’s FAA) has a whole list of incidents that involved interference. Check it out: http://search2.openobjects.com/kbroker/caa/caa/search.sim?sr=0&nh=10&cs=iso-8859-1&sc=caa&sm=0&sf=&ha=318&mt=1&qt=interference
If you had an Audiovox 5600, you wouldn’t have any doubt at all that a cell phone could cause interference with electronics!
Anyway, so keep this in mind, and turn off your phone!
6 Comments to “Cell phones -do- interfere with airplanes”
August 29th, 2005 at 7:38 am
It’s pretty obvious that cell phones send out interference if you have a GSM phone — a moment before mine rings, it causes bizarre interference over any amplifed speakers that are close by, a sort of alien transmission with clicks and beeps.
I was on a plane yesterday, and was amused by the inconsistency of the ban on electronics, though. During the flight, you can use laptops, iPods, etc. When on the ground, you can use phones… but NOT laptops! What’s that all about?
August 29th, 2005 at 9:50 am
From what I’ve read posted by Flight Attendants (FA’s) the reason for the post-landing ban on electronics is not an FAA regulation, but rather to ensure that people get off the plane faster.
September 2nd, 2005 at 1:38 am
Hey Dennis, cool blog!
Most scientific evidence suggests that cell phones are not capable of disrupting commercial avionics.
A lot more info about cell phones, WiFi, and airplanes can be found here:
http://www.faa.gov/news/news_story.cfm?type=fact_sheet&year=2005&date=0805
September 2nd, 2005 at 12:20 pm
I don’t trust anything put out by the FAA… they’re the tool of the industry.
On the other hand, I [heart] the NTSB
December 19th, 2005 at 1:18 pm
Theoretically, the FCC and the FAA are in kahoots. They don’t want you using cell phones on planes because the plane is going to fast. Cell companies can’t track the minutes you use. Also how annoying if you’re sitting next to someone who wants to blab on their phone the whole flight. It’s rude, and I wouldn’t put it passed the business man, or the teenager who will always think it’s an important call. If and only IF they allow cell phone use on commmercial flights, they will somehow make you register your phone…TBC
March 11th, 2007 at 1:32 pm
You should read that British CA report that you cited more carefully. They used simulated transmissions, not actual transmissions, calibrated to the maximum “worst case” scenario. Even with the worst-case settings, they could only show that, if the transmitter were within 6 inches of avionics that were designed to pre-1976 interference standards, signal strength would exceed the design specifications.
While the executive summary of the report hypes this up to claim “proof” that cell phones are a danger to aircraft, the actual report contradicts this conclusion. All the report concludes is that, if you are flying in an airplane with 30-year-old avionics, and you manage to get within 6 inches of where the avionics are installed (impossible for passengers) the signal strength put out by your cell phone may be above the interference design tolerance of the avionics.
It does, however, make a good case for banning the use of cell phones by anyone on the flight deck.
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