Mobile Phones And Plane Crashes

The 'crash' landing of a Boeing 777 recently at London's Heathrow airport has focused on many possible causes, but mobile phones has not been one of them. The failure of both engines at the same time on a duplicated system seems to be unthinkable, yet it happened. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured.

Had the engine failure happened just a few seconds earlier, the outcome would have been a crash over a busy motorway. Just a little earlier still and the crash would have been into densely populated housing and offices. The consequences of that almost defy the imagination.
 

Mobile phones on aircraft A cavalier attitude seems to be acceptable to some selfish idiots who will only be content when their minor inconvenience results in a whole planeload of passengers, including themselves, and crew being killed. Like drunks on board who are a deadly menace, they must be locked up and banned from ever flying again. Rules are usually in place to protect life. Those who threaten it have a criminal, murderous mentality. Suggestions of serious disruption of avionics were raised nearly 8 years ago, but have been 'forgotten' or rubbished as scaremongering. However, it seems mobile phones on aircraft will happen.

Mobile phones may not be a cause, but ignoring such devices as a possible cause is very suggestive by its absence
 

Such phones are a menace to passengers using any mode of travel. They are just a menace even if used responsibly. The proposition of acceptance on aircraft is madness becoming reality. It is one possible reason why these intrusive electronics have been 'overlooked' in the current near disaster. Since no one was seriously injured or killed, the potential whitewash can go ahead unchallenged. Similar argument can be made concerning mobile phone use at petrol filling stations. There is no problem. This may be the accepted conclusion, but any device capable of producing an electrical spark can potentially be the cause of a disaster. Faulty equipment or a poorly seated battery can cause a spark through arcing. To make a blanket statement that such devices are 'safe' creates a possible nightmare. It is (theoretically) simple to prevent the use of mobile phones by banning their use, but convenience wins over common sense. Again.
   There are idiots still around like those who sit around nearby petrol pumps smoking a cigarette. Those who argue a case in its favour are just plain stupid as the potential for disaster is huge. The banning of mobile phones on aircraft is a straightforward issue. Simple continuance of the current restrictions. Including any device brought on board by a passenger. They are still outlawed in hospitals, but government imagines them to be safe, regardless of the potential for ringtones to be confused with equipment alarms. The jury is still out and if that is the case a ban must be enforced. Government attitude is typical: until there is a disaster placed squarely at the platform, everything will be OK. Government says so. Government is always right even when it's wrong. Hospitals are filled with sensitive electronic equipment. Everywhere. The hygiene issue is conveniently overlooked. Mobile phones come into very close contact with the mouth. Mobile phones are rarely cleaned. Dried saliva is everywhere. Again, the potential for serious infection is obvious. But clean your hands.