AIRPLANE ACCIDENT: Electronic Devices May Pose Safety Risks During Flight

June 13, 2011

Washington – A confidential industry study has found that personal electronic devices such as cellphones and iPods interfere with the plane’s electronic systems, posing serious problems during flights.

This is opposed to the popular belief among passengers that the use of PEDs does not threaten the plane’s safety.

The International Air Transport Association also reported that 75 separate incidents of signal interference were believed by pilots and other crew members to be caused by use of personal electronic devices while the plane is flying.

The study covers the years 2003-2009, analyzing responses from 125 different airlines, about 25 percent of the overall airline traffic in the world.

Majority of the cases involve problems in the autopilot, auto-thrust, and landing gears of the plane, while others say that it affected their navigation systems and communication systems.

Aviation expert John Nance, however, criticized the study for relying too much on anecdotal evidence.

He believes that alternative explanations are available and signals from these electronic devices are not strong enough to cause the reported interferences.

The study, however, stresses that PED’s are not yet verified as the direct cause of the problems.