This is not a dissension from the group consensus that personal electronic devices (PEDs) need to be turned off during critical phases of flight, but it is a closer examination of what is really happening.
The original event that triggered the action relative to PED operation was the final approach of a commercial air transport under autopilot control and reacting to a VOR or similar ground-based navigation signal. The PED interfered with the ground-based signal, and that caused the aircraft to "think" it was in the wrong place. The aircraft lurched in response to the autopilot commands, and the pilot wrested control away from the autopilot and landed safely. The important point is that the aircraft was some distance from the airfield, therefore the level of the navigation signal received would have been attenuated by the distance, as compared to voice commands from the tower during taxi operations. The likelihood of PEDs interfering with voice commands during taxi operations seems remote at best. The real reason for prohibiting PED operation during taxi operations seems to be that it would be difficult to allow PED operation on the ground and then require them to be turned off just prior to takeoff. Compliance would be much lower. - This message is from the IEEE Product Safety Engineering Society emc-pstc discussion list. Website: http://www.ieee-pses.org/ To post a message to the list, send your e-mail to [email protected] Instructions: http://listserv.ieee.org/request/user-guide.html List rules: http://www.ieee-pses.org/listrules.html For help, send mail to the list administrators: Scott Douglas [email protected] Mike Cantwell [email protected] For policy questions, send mail to: Jim Bacher: [email protected] David Heald: [email protected] All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: http://www.ieeecommunities.org/emc-pstc ______________________________________________________________________ This email has been scanned by the MessageLabs Email Security System. For more information please visit http://www.messagelabs.com/email ______________________________________________________________________
