A study released last month by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University found that cell phones and other portable electronic devices "can pose dangers to the normal operation of critical electronics on airplanes."
The study comes as a potential blow to advocates of inflight cell phone use, as the Federal Aviation Administration has said it would not give its approval unless its safety had been demonstrated.
FAA doesn't agree with the Federal Communications Commission's suggestion to lift a 14-year-old ban—which effectively ends the possibility of a change in the policy, since the two agencies share jurisdiction on the issue
(BTN, Aug. 1, 2005)."We found that the risk posed by these portable devices is higher than previously believed," said Carnegie Mellon researcher Bill Strauss in a statement. "These devices can disrupt normal operation of key cockpit instruments, especially global positioning system receivers, which are increasingly vital for safe landings."
The study was conducted with support from the Federal Aviation Administration, the Transportation Security Administration and three undisclosed airlines. Researchers traveled aboard various commercial flights in the Northeast, "monitoring radio emissions from passenger use of cell phones and other electronic devices," Carnegie Mellon said in a release.
"They tracked these radio emissions via a broadband antenna attached to a compact portable spectrum analyzer that fit into an innocuous carry-on bag."
While government authorities have yet to drop the ban on using cell phones, the researchers found that passengers were running afoul of rules and sneaking in calls from airborne planes. They found that between one and four cell phone calls on average are made on flights monitored in the study.
"Some of these calls are made during critical flight stages such as climb-out or on final approach," researchers said.
If the Federal Communications Commission approves any wireless devices, individual airlines would have to seek specific approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to allow their use.
Airlines also would have to set policies about whether to allow voice calls or just text-based messaging.