Wireless gadgets interfer with aviation                                      Publisert: 25.03.10 Something odd was happening as the Boeing 737 made its approach to Chicago's Midway Airport. A cockpit instrument called the course deviation indicator, or CDI, showed the plane was on course, but the pilots peering through the night sky at the lights below, thought they were too far south. An air traffic controller radioed the same concern. Then the CDI's vertical needle suddenly swung to the left, showing the plane north of its course. After the captain made a scheduled turn to align the plane with the runway, the CDI needle again indicated the plane was on course. But then the needle swung again, showing the plane too far south. The apparent cause of these electronic gremlins was discovered as the plane circled around for another approach and the captain asked the passengers to make sure they had turned off all electronic devices. The flight attendants reported that a woman passenger had been talking on her cell phone. When she turned it off, the instruments immediately settled down and the plane landed safely. This incident, which the captain reported last year to NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System, is just one example of how portable electronic devices -- everything from cell phones to Game Boys -- can interfere with the electronic navigation and communication systems aboard a modern airliner. Electronic interference alone might not be a major threat, but combined with other factors, such as bad weather or pilot fatigue, could contribute to accidents.                                                 Kilde: Post-Gazette