Why do they ask you you to turn off the electrical appliances (cell phones) when you're on the plane?

Question

whats a phone going to do to a plane? crash it?

Answer 1

Because it COULD interfere with communications or navigation.

If a pilot has determined that the particular device will NOT interfere, the device can be used on the airplane.

If you would like a demonstration of what can happen. (I've had this happen in flight when a cell phone rang next to my headset cord.) Watch CNBC. When people are interviewing on camera, their cellphones or Blackberrys will create interference with the recording equipment and create a buzzing sound that can be heard on the TV.

Another reason is that your cellphone signal is "line of sight:." on the ground, cell towers are arranged carefully to give full coverage, but not over coverage of the area. In the air, your phone can see many cell towers equally well, and I understand there are issues with both your billing, and how many communication slots you take up at one time.

Answer 2

b/c of like bombs or it can interfere with the mechanics and electronics of a plane

Answer 3

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.

And one of the above posters is quite correct.  The terrorists that blew up the trains in Spain several years ago, used cell phones as detonators.

Answer 4

the cell signals interfear with the pilots communications and makes his job harder and in extreme cases he way need to land becouse he has no idea were he is

Answer 5

You could use your phone to like set off a bomb.

Answer 6

Because the FAA and FCC have not done extensive testing to determine if a cell phone can interfere with anything in a plane or not.  So, they just prevent you from having it on.  No, a cell phone won't cause it to crash.  Sometimes, a ringing cell phone can slightly interfere with the aircraft's radios though.