Cell Phone Bull h****y?

Question

Everyone says cells interfer with radios/ comm, etc..

I had an A&P instructor who was an I.A./ homebuilder/ IFR Pilot/ Retired AirForce Maintenance Officer tell me otherwise.

He said that the transmitting signal could induce excessive voltage or amps along a conductor resulting in a tripped circuit breaker or burnt up wires. He explained how a plane burnt up or crashed. He claimed that after a thoughough investigation AC crash investigators decided wiring running down the side of a fuselage reacted to a radio transmission(cell phone) of the person in the window seat. Causing it to overheat and run a muck.

Ive seen a Nextel Phone pop a house hold Ground Fault bathroom receptical when pointed and transmitted just right.

He mentioned 2 types of electrical interferance/ 2 sources. Its a little hazy, backdoor interferance and something else.

I just heard it through the grape vine, but it is 100% possible according to the laws of physics.

What do you think?

Answer 1

The transmitted RF energy of a cellphone ain't gonna fry anything.  If it did, it would be unsafe for a user to operate for any extended period of time.  You'd need something along the lines of a radar emitter, or microwave oven magnetron to cause that type of catastrophic damage.

The REAL reason you can't use cellphones in flight is due to the rapid transiting of cell coverage areas.  At altitude one is in overlapping coverage.  That causes issues for the cell service providers.  A solution is pretty close to fielding, BTW.

Answer 2

Here ya go, form an ex-USAF Avionics tech.

Cell phones constantly send and receive signals looking for cell towers.

Now then.  Airliners are essentially a big metal tube with wings.  The signals of maybe a hundred or so cell phones will bounce around inside the cabin.  Actually multiplying in strength.  That can, and does affect electronics on the flight deck.

Static on the radios can be a giveaway to the crew.  My wife works for an airline as a CSA.  The pilot on one of their flights could tell someone on board was using a cell phone by the interference he was hearing.  The customer wouldn't turn off the phone.  They taxied back to the gate where my wife had to remove him from the flight.

Answer 3

Any wires that would be interfered with by EMI are shielded to ground to prevent that c**p.

The stuff you brought up as far building up in a tube is frikkin' science fiction. I'm holding my watch up as I type this to keep it out of what appears to be bovine excrement.

Answer 4

Its Bull...  We would "accordian" out with crews.. dropping them off from USA around the world...and then pick them up on the way back... so we were coming across the Atlantic with 4+ crews on an empty airplane...  we started laughing about everyone getting their cell phone out to call friends etc to come pick them up... and someone said.. yea.. we all turn on our phones and the airplane will go screwy...  it was day VFR coming into JFK so I said WAIT!!! lets try it...  I went to the cockpit and told the captain.. what we were going to try.. and he said SURE!... so we didn't tell him when...  we had the cockpit door open... and from a hand signal, we all turned on and called...  NOTHING.   no "static"  no nav needles moved.. nothing... over FIFTY cellphones..  at one time...   it had NO effect...    about a week after that..

I was coming home on a certain airline that is famous for their crew members attitude... and the plane was ALL over the place.. throttles going up and down, left/right/left/right.. we were inside the marker and STILL no gear.. I hear the GEAR HORN from the cockpit.. oooops.....   and finally   KAA-WHAMMoooo...   TAKE THAT EARTH....   we were down.. and when the captain came out... he groused about something.. and one of the flight attendants said that she thought a passenger might have switched on a cell phone on short final... and he hoisted up his pants and said...

yea... I thought so....

I almost burst to keep from laughing...