FAA warns man who took video of bird strike with iPad

[n2doc]

A flock of birds flew into a plane’s engine, a frightening incident with shadows of the 2009 Hudson River landing, but the FAA is more worried about … a guy who didn’t properly stow his electronics for takeoff.

Delta passenger Grant Cardone says he has received a strongly worded letter from the FAA over his video of the bird strike on a New York-Los Angeles flight on April 19. Cardone was filming the plane’s ascent from John F. Kennedy airport when a flock of geese flew into the plane’s engine, causing an emergency landing back at JFK.

Boing Boing equates the letter to “double secret probation.” James Giles, FAA supervisory principal operations inspector, warns that Cardone’s actions “could have affected the safe outcome of the flight,” and:

We have given consideration to all of the facts. In lieu of legal enforcement action (a civil penalty), we are issuing this letter which will be made a matter of record for a period of two years, after which, the record will be expunged.

more
http://blog.sfgate.com/hottopics/2012/05/03/faa-warns-man-who-took-video-of-bird-strike-with-ipad/

[BiggJawn]

1. OMFG! NOT into his "Permanent Record!

Well, it's not exactly permanent if it's only for 2 years, is it...

When did a civil penalty become "legal enforcement action"? I answered my own question, after all, if they can throw you in jail for not paying your bills...

[SoutherDem]

2. I haven't flown for years

long before smartphones and tablets. But, iPhones and iPads have Airplane Mode. I thought that turned off the part of the device which would harm an aircraft and would basically leave the device safe? I would have left mine out too unless I was specifically told by someone not to.

[jeff47]

3. Airplane mode is for when you're at cruising altitutde

All electronics have to be turned off for takeoff and landing. "Airplane mode" isn't good enough.

Why? Flight attendants can't tell if you modified your device to screw with the plane. And both you and the flight attendants can't tell if your device is malfunctioning and will screw with the plane.

[SoutherDem]

4. Good to know. n/t

[frylock]

5. if personal electronics had the potential to screw with a plane..

they would be confiscated prior to boarding. relying on passengers to ensure their devices are powered down for the safety of the flight is a ridiculous notion.

[Zalatix]

6. Don't. Give. Them. IDEAS!!!

[jeff47]

7. Just repeating the FAA's logic. Not endorsing it.

And yes, it would be quite possible to modify an electronic device to screw with the RF-based systems on an airplane. But since there's a piece of wetware in the cockpit it's pretty unlikely that it would cause a crash.

[Javaman]

8. +1 nt

[backscatter712]

9. Sounds like defective avionics...

Why can't the avionics industry try making aircraft instruments and avionics that don't freak out because of EM from a twitchy cell phone?

Hell, they should be testing their hardware with a deliberately-engineered jamming device running in the passenger cabin, to ensure that they can deal with more than just twitchy cell phones.

[Angleae]

12. And just who would be paying for this?

The airlines won't. They can get by with the current boxes. Keep in mind one of the things that could get interferred with are external navigation & communication signals (VHF, VOR, ILS, GPS).

[joshcryer]

14. They do. Every single cable in a plane is insulated.

It's just over thinking the process.

[Gold Metal Flake]

10. "...after which, the record will be expunged."

Yeah. Um, Mr. Cardone should probably follow up on that to make sure.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

11. i don't know how many times

in the last few years that i have heard a phone on a plane ring while on approach...even from the luggage compartments. which simply means, the thing has been on the whole damned flight...so all the warnings about phones and iPad and Blackberries and the like fucking with the systems on the aircraft...yeah, bullshit.

if there was any danger at ALL they would not let people carry them on the plane. you simply can't rely on a passenger to turn it off. imagine how easy it would be for a terrorist to down a plane if there were any danger...

sP