lost mobile
 

Anybody seen this story today. Wonder who the unlucky pilot was?


SUN-SEEKERS were stranded at an airport for four hours — because a pilot lost his mobile phone in the cockpit.

The holidaymakers were settled in their seats ready for take-off while the captain gave a running commentary on his fruitless search.
He scrambled around the floor and finally called for “technical assistance”.

Engineers DISMANTLED sections of the cockpit to search under the floor — without success.
And after being stuck on the Boeing 737-800 for an hour the 189 passengers were asked to collect their belongings and return to the terminal.

http://images.thesun.co.uk/picture/0,,2006161069,00.jpg
Wish we were there ... Tenerife


They were left helpless at Doncaster Robin Hood Airport instead of sunning themselves at Tenerife until a replacement aircraft could be laid on for the 4¾-hour flight.
They finally took off with a DIFFERENT pilot at the controls.

Thomsonflylast night apologised and insisted they had no choice but to delay the plane.

http://images.thesun.co.uk/picture/0,,2006161070,00.jpg
Stranded ... passengers were left in Doncaster


A spokesman said: “The aircraft could not take off until the phone was recovered as it was still switched on.
“Phones have to be switched off during a flight for safety reasons.”


A passenger said: “We just couldn’t believe our ears. We thought we’d heard every excuse in the book for delays but this one took the biscuit.
“At least the pilot was honest right from the start.
“He told us over the tannoy that we couldn’t take off until he found his mobile phone. Fifteen minutes later he said he was STILL looking for it.
“So we just waited and waited and he kept announcing they were still looking.
“Then he said the engineers had dismantled some of the panels in the cockpit but they still couldn’t find the phone anywhere.”

Thomsonfly/mobile phone/the sun
 

just seen this. on a scale of one to ten (ten being 'very') how embarrassed would you be as a pilot?
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1799079.html

Am I missing something here? The normal way to find a mobile phone is to ring the number.

At least he was honest about it! well done to ya whoever you are. You deserve a reward. Belt-clip maybe?

Come on then, who would have just gone?

These TFly first officers, they'll steal just anything unless it's screwed down......



(To anyone with a sensitive disposition, this IS a joke)

BBC report said it was on Silent.

is this really an issue
 

I thought all testing had proved mobiles don't interfere so am surprised they cared about this. Afterall people accidently leave mobiles & Blackberrys on all the time on flights and I've not heard of an incident.

Personally I like the ban for the peace and quiet. Who would want to listen to people all shouting into their phones especially half the plane saying "I've just landed".

Fair play to the pilot for being so honest throughout though.

If SOP and checklist determins that the phone must be off, then the phone must be off! Opinions and checklists dont go hand in hand.........:confused:

With my own eyes, monitoring the FMS (PF) with my VOR (PNF) watched the needle vary from one dot left to one dot right in a random fashion. Mentioned it to PF, who switched his phones (two) off and needle settled down. I'm now convinced that interference occurrs.

O Dear, The gentlemen of the press …

“They finally took off with a different pilot reports The Sun.”

Makes it sound like the captain was somehow punished for loosing a phone. When indeed the correct decision was made …

It looks like the phone was switched on but must have been on “Silent”. Where was it found ? Does anybody know ?

On the contrary, the latest research simply again highlights the possible danger. (This is not an isolated piece of research; CAA work reported similar results.)

The policies regarding the use of mobile phones seems to vary from airline to airline and it's not always clear. Last week I was berated by fight att. on a Turkish Airlines flight that had arrived in Istanbul for switching on my mobile phone as I was passing her by the exit door. Obviously the engines had been shut down and the door open (I was about 2 metres from the door) She explained it was company policy that phones be turned off while aboard the aircraft, I told her that while I was happy to comply I would have felt more secure if she'd done something about the mobile phones I could hear ringing while the aircraft was taxying, again immediately after takeoff at about 500m and again just seconds before the wheels touched the ground for landing. No response from her.

I was on a Swiss flight the previous week and their announcement on landing in Belgrade was quite specific that phones should not be used until the fasten seat belt sign is off, the engines shut down and the door open.

I stand corrected. Thanks for the responses.

I assume the interference range is fairly limited as SXB demonstrates there are always mobiles left on onboard aircraft.

Actually quite pleased to hear that there is a reason to keep the ban.

As pointed out, the greater hazard is not the transmissions, but in this case a small solid object located somewhere unknown on the FD. Jamming controls is the obvious one, and for this reason alone it had to be found before flight.

Not as embarrassed as this Guy, check out page 5:

http://www.aaiu.ie/upload/general/3524-0.PDF

Better embarrassed than dead. I think that the loose article hazard was potentially greater than the interferance hazard. Flight safety must come first. It doesn't take much to bring an aeroplane down and you certainly won't get any thanks for it.

AAIU report shpows how easy it is to get any flight control (in a conventional a/c) jammed by even a simple 'foreign object' like a mobile phone.

I just love the picture of the rudder "PETALS"!!!!! I kid you not - have a look.

There you are me auld flower!

Just to confirm Aircraft was changed from B738 to B757 hence the crew change and the phone was switched off which hampered the engineers locating the mobile.

Cheers, Haylo

What a load of woffle!
I've left my 'phone' aka UHF radio on loads of times. Makes no difference at all on the ERJ-145. And thats on the flight deck!

Let the feckers phone if they want to.

Until a neggy safety aspect is founded, I say it's all nanny state pish.

It's not a flying club.

They pay. if they've got 'important' "cough" calls to make. Let 'em!;)