People rarely take notice when flight attendants tell them not to use their cell phones on a plane because most people take the notion that cell phones could interfere with the plane’s instrumentation with a hefty dose of salt. A new report, however, indicates that cell phone signals really might place planes in great danger and it might be a good idea to turn that phone off when you board after all.
A report from the global industry trade group known as the International Air Transport Association (IATA) says that pilots and crew members have cited no less than 75 “incidents” that saw flight systems impacted by what they believe were passengers who used cell phones during the flight. 26 of the 75 incidents cited saw flight controls affected, while 13 resulted in “engine indications” and warnings. The report claims that electronic devices such as cell phones that are used on the airplane can cause altitude control and GPS readings to malfunction and give off incorrect results.
“It could be that you were to the right of the runway when in fact you were to the left of the runway,” says Dave Carson from Boeing. “We can’t categorically state that these devices cause interference,” admits Chris Goater, a spokesman for the International Air Transport Association, “but there are enough anecdotal reports from pilots to raise the question”.
Used Cell Phones Could Crash Planes
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