New Study, Cell Phones cause problems in cockpit.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06060/662669.stm

In addition to the cell phones issue the study says...

QUOTE
Airlines typically allow the use of portable electronic devices, like game
players and DVDs, above 10,000 feet, but not during takeoff or landing.
Laptops also can be used, but not for communications purposes, such as
sending or receiving e-mail.

In the past, the FAA has found nothing to indicate that the use of passive
devices like laptops or game-playing electronics poses a threat to the
aircraft.

However, the CMU study concluded otherwise. While the researchers looked
primarily at cell phone use, they also discovered that emissions from other
portable devices proved "problematic."

"We found that the risk posed by these portable devices is higher than
previously believed," researcher Bill Strauss said in a release announcing
the findings.

/QUOTE

I also liked this little tidbit...

QUOTE

And despite the ban on cell phone use during flights, the researchers
discovered that on average one to four cell phone calls are made from every
commercial flight in the northeast United States.

Some are even made during critical flight times, such as the climb after
takeoff or the final approach.

/QUOTE

During that period, the researchers monitored radio emissions from cell phones and other electronic devices on commercial flights throughout the Northeast. The equipment used to take the measurements, including a laptop computer, had been modified for safe in-flight use and fit in a nondescript carry-on bag.

They did not say (at least in the newspaper article) that they studied
the =effect= of those emissions on cockpit instrumentation... just that
the emissions existed. One may infer from the paper's conclusion that
it was studied, but that would be an inference by the reader. The
conclusion may in fact be unjustified.

Jose
--
Money: what you need when you run out of brains.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

The IEEE article is available on-line at

http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/mar06/3069

It says they searched the ASRS database and found some interesing entries.
One in particular:

"In one telling incident, a flight crew stated that a 30-degree navigation
error was immediately corrected after a passenger turned off a DVD player
and that the error reoccurred when the curious crew asked the passenger to
switch the player on again. Game electronics and laptops were the culprits
in other reports in which the crew verified in the same way that a
particular PED caused erratic navigation indications."



(PED = portable electronic device)

Even better is the GA contribution to the cause: (from the same atricle)

"In March 2004, acting on a number of reports from general aviation pilots
that Samsung SPH-N300 cellphones had caused their GPS receivers to lose
satellite lock..."




"Jose" wrote in message
et...
During that period, the researchers monitored radio emissions from cell
phones and other electronic devices on commercial flights throughout the
Northeast. The equipment used to take the measurements, including a laptop
computer, had been modified for safe in-flight use and fit in a nondescript
carry-on bag.

They did not say (at least in the newspaper article) that they studied
the =effect= of those emissions on cockpit instrumentation... just that
the emissions existed. One may infer from the paper's conclusion that
it was studied, but that would be an inference by the reader. The
conclusion may in fact be unjustified.

Jose
--
Money: what you need when you run out of brains.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

"In one telling incident, a flight crew stated that a 30-degree navigation
error was immediately corrected after a passenger turned off a DVD player
and that the error reoccurred when the curious crew asked the passenger to
switch the player on again."

I wonder if cockpit electronics could be adequately shielded against
this kind of interference, or perhaps it comes through the antenna and
more processing could alleviate the problem.

Or not.

Jose
--
Money: what you need when you run out of brains.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

Oh my god, you mean the pilots might actually have to stay awake up there
and pay attention to what the autopilot is doing?

How can we expect them to do that?

They'll probably get the union to try and get them a raise if we start
expecting that out of them.

(my brother is an airline captain on a 717 so I'm allowed to rip on them)

On Wed, 1 Mar 2006 11:03:00 -0600, "Gig 601XL Builder"
wrDOTgiaconaATcox.net wrote in
::


And despite the ban on cell phone use during flights, the researchers
discovered that on average one to four cell phone calls are made from every
commercial flight in the northeast United States.

Some are even made during critical flight times, such as the climb after
takeoff or the final approach.

http://tinyurl.com/j83f3
http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0312...3D#reader-page
This potentially self-destructive passenger behavior is reminiscent of
Robert A. Heinlein's SF novel The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress in which
people on Earth flock to the very site the people of Luna indicated
would be the target location where their catapult-asteroids would hit.
Some folks don't have good sense.

"Gig 601XL Builder" wrDOTgiaconaATcox.net wrote in message
...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06060/662669.stm

In addition to the cell phones issue the study says...



I asked a commercial pilot about this once and he said they did have some
navigation issues on a flight once and asked everyone to double check their
cell phones and make sure they were off and after a minute or two they said
they stopped having problems. I doubt the guy was BS'ing me.

------------------------------------------
DW

Gig 601XL Builder wrote:
QUOTE
"We found that the risk posed by these portable devices is higher than
previously believed," researcher Bill Strauss said in a release announcing
the findings.
/QUOTE

There are some interesting stories in this collection of "PED" related
ASRS reports:

http://asrs.arc.nasa.gov/report_sets/ped.pdf

-R

"Gig 601XL Builder" wrDOTgiaconaATcox.net wrote in
:


I also liked this little tidbit...

QUOTE

And despite the ban on cell phone use during flights, the researchers
discovered that on average one to four cell phone calls are made from
every commercial flight in the northeast United States.

Some are even made during critical flight times, such as the climb
after takeoff or the final approach.

/QUOTE


The latter quote is most interesting because I've never had or heard of a
cell phone that even worked above about 3000'AGL... And we all know that
these devices (especially laptops which sometimes ARE the GPS system) don't
really interfere.

I guess they are just trying to stop competition because they heard how
productive guys like me are when using laptops on airplanes, since no one
can reach us on the cell and disturb us...

It seems to be enough of a problem that I think the airlines have it
right. No electronic device usage on takeoff and landing and only
permitted in cruise when captain says its ok. (He may not want it on if
in IMC).

I wouldn't use one in my airplane in IMC. Otherwise, since I keep the
airplane upright by visual, I would think it would be ok.

Although I'm not surprised that electronic devices can interfere, I am
a little suprised they can interfere when the cockpit door is closed
and the devices are some distance (several rows), away.

I don't think anyone knows for sure.....