The Australian and British governments arent taking any chances with cellphones on airliners. The Aussie Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has published an article calling for restricted use of cellphones aboard airliners after tests in England determined cellphones caused compass freeze, navigational instrument errors, communication interference and false warning reports. In the latest edition of its Flight Safety Australia magazine, CASA says that while a link between electronic devices and in-flight incidents has been difficult to prove in the past, evidence is increasing and is being supported by controlled testing. Because of these findings, the article calls on aircraft cabin crew to “take firm action where passengers use electronic devices when they are prohibited and to make a detailed report of all incidents.” As AVweb recently reported, Continental Airlines now allows the use of cellphones after its aircraft land and an FAA-Commissioned Cellphone Study is underway to further understand the effects of these devices aboard aircraft.
