why should you turn off electronic devices during take off and landing in an airplane?

Answer 1

There's conflicting information on if it interferes with the plane operations so I won't even go into that... however, takeoff and landing are the most dangerous times in any flight. Electronics are turned off and stowed during those times for two reasons:

-They can be a distraction. If you have your iPod in your ears you might not be able to clearly hear any emergency instructions, or you may be paying more attention to the Gameboy than to the emergency instructions

-They can be projectiles and obstacles. Everyone on a plane these days has some gadget to entertain them. CD players, iPods, laptops, you name it, everyone has got one. If all the passengers have their gadgets on their laps or tray-tables and the plane has to make an emergency landing, the gadgets all go flying around the plane. These could strike and injure other passengers (imagine going from 300mph down to 0mph in just a few seconds and having a laptop zoom across the room and hit you in the head). They can also end up in the aisles or under the seats where people can trip or slip on them if they're trying to make an emergency exit.

It's the same reason you have to put the seatbacks up and the tray tables up for takeoff and landing, and have all the carry-ons all the way under the seat in front of you. Plane crashes are very rare but if you are in one and you survive the initial crash, every second counts. You have to get off of the plane before the fuel tanks explode or catch on fire. I can't remember the exact time but it's something like 2 minutes from impact to explosion. 2 minutes to evacuate 200 people is not a lot of time. There has to be absolutely nothing that can slow people down.

PS. Don't take your shoes off on a plane. Imagine surviving a crash and having to evacuate through broken twisted metal and burning jet fuel in your bare feet.

Answer 2

Most electronic devices have small electrical components that may radiate signals or noise that can interfere with communications and/or navigational instruments. The older the electronics in the aircraft the more susceptible to the interference. I have flew a Metro-liner and could always tell when a passenger "accidentally" forgot to turn off the device! We would not depart the gate until they were all off.

Answer 3

It doesn't matter actually. Phones do not interfere with radio signals and doesn't effect any of the equipment. The main reason I suppose, is no body wants to sit next to someone talking on the phone on a 15 minute flight from Colorado Springs, Co. to Denver much less on a flight from New York to London. I've heard of it being proposed to be allowed on commercial aircraft.

Answer 4

While one person's electronic device wouldn't interfere with any of the transmissions between the control tower and the plane, the total amount of everybody's might affect them.

Answer 5

Because, many devices interfere with the take-off and landing gears, as well as the radior frequencies that the pilots use.

Answer 6

Interference with radio waves from the network causes dropped calls and can irritate the pilot in the pitfirecock while he contacts staff and landing control.

Answer 7

If the signal from your electronic devices interrupts the people in the sky tower, the pilot could go the wrong direction and you would die.

Answer 8

the radio waves will interfer with the radio waves of the traffic tower and the pilot may get jammed signals and also it has been rumored to affect the instruments of the plane

Answer 9

Mostly so you are paying attention in case something goes wrong.

NOT because of any "Interference" electronically.

Answer 10

I believe it messes with the plane's communication with the tower.