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From: westmark!dave@uunet.uu.net (Dave Levenson)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Cellular Telephone Causes Airline Fire Alarm
Message-ID: 
Date: 19 Aug 89 01:46:28 GMT
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In article , wmartin@stl-06sima.army.
mil (Will Martin) writes:
> This was on Risks -- thought it was worth getting into Telecom:
>
> >Date: Tue, 15 Aug 89 08:17:31 -0400
> >From: dave davis 
> >Subject: Cellular Telephone Causes Airliner Fire Alarm
>
> A morning radio news report here in Washington, DC reported that a commercial
> airline crew noted a fire alarm signal from a cargo hold in mid-flight.  Upon
> returning to their originating airport, the cargo hold was examined carefully
> and no evidence of fire was found.  Apparently, a cellular telephone in a
> passenger's luggage had received an incoming call, that activated the smoke
> (I assume) detector via RF interference.

> ...As a result of this
> event, the aircraft companies may have to redesign a lot of sensors.


No. The only sensor that has to be implemented is the one that scans
the passenger baggage.

It is ILLEGAL to use electronic devices such as cellular telephones
or even Walkman-sized portable receivers on board commercial
aircraft.  It is also ILLEGAL to operate such devices on other
aircraft unless the pilot of the aircraft has determined that the
device in question does not interfere with the aircraft systems.

This part of the federal aviation regulations is chiefly aimed at
reducing the risk of interference with the navigation or
communications systems, in the interest of flight safety.  While
interference with the file alarm system may have been unexpected,
the passenger who carried a powered-up portable electronic device
aboard that aircraft is in violation of the law.  What will probably
result from this incident is not a major re-design of aircraft
systems, but better enforcement of the existing regulations.

--
Dave Levenson                Voice: (201) 647 0900
Westmark, Inc.               Internet: dave@westmark.uu.net
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