Narrative:

Standard SOP preflight with SOP radio checks. Both navs ok and clear. SID -- cvg 117.3 VOR 290 degree radial V128 decee then V128 to 116.3 inoy vhp VOR. During climb out from cvg, cleared to intercept cvg V128 (290 degree radial) per SID. As always, I idented the station morse code, it was clear, no backgnd noise. At approximately 10500 ft, captain and first officer CDI began to scallop in tandem left and right of course. I checked the VOR signal, very high backgnd noise and morse code very dim but it was cvg identify. I advised ZID cvg VOR unusable, how about direct indy? Vhp ok'ed to vhp. I idented vhp, but same backgnd noise and 116.3 vhp VOR and scalloping continued on both needles. I had our first flight attendant go through the cabin to find if anyone was using a cellular phone. We found a passenger using aircraft cellular phone hooked to his toshiba techra laptop with 28800 bps modem. I had him disconnect and signal interference stopped. Vhp was clear and scalloping stopped. I notified our dispatch while en route of problem. I said I was unsure as to how to write this up. I had them arrange customer service representative to meet aircraft to get information from passenger and to have maintenance meet the aircraft for further research. At the gate, passenger very cooperative. He and mechanic moved through aircraft with laptop on while I checked various frequencys for signal problems. None noted. He tried to link up with phone modem to no avail. He told me that this was his 'first time trying to link computer with aircraft phone system and it just didn't seem to be working!' he was calling (or trying to) an 800 number in wisconsin. #1 mechanic said don't write up this problem in logbook as aircraft ok -- problem was laptop. #2 system maintenance, I called them and had phone conference. They said don't write it up, they will research problem. #3 station operations -- yep -- they said they got all the information on laptop and aircraft ok, don't write it up. Discussed this with outbound captain for next trip. Filed captain's report to alert company. Filed safety report to alert company, notified dispatch as to final outcome of situation. Nov/xx/96 company calls me 'why no write-up?' how many times must you beat the horse before it is pronounced legally dead? While airphone should have been written up, all folks I spoke with were going to check it out. All had information on laptop. Mechanic ran navigation equipment tests on aircraft as I was leaving. This bridge hadn't been crossed. I advised all that I was unsure how to proceed with this and did what I felt was correct. I notified everyone from dispatch, operations, maintenance, customer service, company safety reports. We are not trained for airphone problems. Perhaps 'when in doubt, write it up.' laptop: new model, first time passenger tried to do a phone modem link-up. Was airphone system untested for a modem lock-up? Was new laptop at fault by itself? Airphone voice was used, no problems reported. En route to cvg from ord 3 passenger were on phone. Passenger #4 couldn't get his call through -- this is normal. Backgnd noise was as if you drove under high power lines and were listening to am radio.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB. VOR COURSE DEV INDICATORS (CDI'S) BECAME UNUSABLE DURING CLB. CAUSE DETERMINED TO BE PAX LAPTOP WHICH WAS CONNECTED TO ACFT CELLULAR PHONE. WHEN THE CELL PHONE WAS DISCONNECTED FROM THE LAPTOP ALL VOR SIGNALS WERE NORMAL.

Narrative: STANDARD SOP PREFLT WITH SOP RADIO CHKS. BOTH NAVS OK AND CLR. SID -- CVG 117.3 VOR 290 DEG RADIAL V128 DECEE THEN V128 TO 116.3 INOY VHP VOR. DURING CLBOUT FROM CVG, CLRED TO INTERCEPT CVG V128 (290 DEG RADIAL) PER SID. AS ALWAYS, I IDENTED THE STATION MORSE CODE, IT WAS CLR, NO BACKGND NOISE. AT APPROX 10500 FT, CAPT AND FO CDI BEGAN TO SCALLOP IN TANDEM L AND R OF COURSE. I CHKED THE VOR SIGNAL, VERY HIGH BACKGND NOISE AND MORSE CODE VERY DIM BUT IT WAS CVG IDENT. I ADVISED ZID CVG VOR UNUSABLE, HOW ABOUT DIRECT INDY? VHP OK'ED TO VHP. I IDENTED VHP, BUT SAME BACKGND NOISE AND 116.3 VHP VOR AND SCALLOPING CONTINUED ON BOTH NEEDLES. I HAD OUR FIRST FLT ATTENDANT GO THROUGH THE CABIN TO FIND IF ANYONE WAS USING A CELLULAR PHONE. WE FOUND A PAX USING ACFT CELLULAR PHONE HOOKED TO HIS TOSHIBA TECHRA LAPTOP WITH 28800 BPS MODEM. I HAD HIM DISCONNECT AND SIGNAL INTERFERENCE STOPPED. VHP WAS CLR AND SCALLOPING STOPPED. I NOTIFIED OUR DISPATCH WHILE ENRTE OF PROB. I SAID I WAS UNSURE AS TO HOW TO WRITE THIS UP. I HAD THEM ARRANGE CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE TO MEET ACFT TO GET INFO FROM PAX AND TO HAVE MAINT MEET THE ACFT FOR FURTHER RESEARCH. AT THE GATE, PAX VERY COOPERATIVE. HE AND MECH MOVED THROUGH ACFT WITH LAPTOP ON WHILE I CHKED VARIOUS FREQS FOR SIGNAL PROBS. NONE NOTED. HE TRIED TO LINK UP WITH PHONE MODEM TO NO AVAIL. HE TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS HIS 'FIRST TIME TRYING TO LINK COMPUTER WITH ACFT PHONE SYS AND IT JUST DIDN'T SEEM TO BE WORKING!' HE WAS CALLING (OR TRYING TO) AN 800 NUMBER IN WISCONSIN. #1 MECH SAID DON'T WRITE UP THIS PROB IN LOGBOOK AS ACFT OK -- PROB WAS LAPTOP. #2 SYS MAINT, I CALLED THEM AND HAD PHONE CONFERENCE. THEY SAID DON'T WRITE IT UP, THEY WILL RESEARCH PROB. #3 STATION OPS -- YEP -- THEY SAID THEY GOT ALL THE INFO ON LAPTOP AND ACFT OK, DON'T WRITE IT UP. DISCUSSED THIS WITH OUTBOUND CAPT FOR NEXT TRIP. FILED CAPT'S RPT TO ALERT COMPANY. FILED SAFETY RPT TO ALERT COMPANY, NOTIFIED DISPATCH AS TO FINAL OUTCOME OF SIT. NOV/XX/96 COMPANY CALLS ME 'WHY NO WRITE-UP?' HOW MANY TIMES MUST YOU BEAT THE HORSE BEFORE IT IS PRONOUNCED LEGALLY DEAD? WHILE AIRPHONE SHOULD HAVE BEEN WRITTEN UP, ALL FOLKS I SPOKE WITH WERE GOING TO CHK IT OUT. ALL HAD INFO ON LAPTOP. MECH RAN NAV EQUIP TESTS ON ACFT AS I WAS LEAVING. THIS BRIDGE HADN'T BEEN CROSSED. I ADVISED ALL THAT I WAS UNSURE HOW TO PROCEED WITH THIS AND DID WHAT I FELT WAS CORRECT. I NOTIFIED EVERYONE FROM DISPATCH, OPS, MAINT, CUSTOMER SVC, COMPANY SAFETY RPTS. WE ARE NOT TRAINED FOR AIRPHONE PROBS. PERHAPS 'WHEN IN DOUBT, WRITE IT UP.' LAPTOP: NEW MODEL, FIRST TIME PAX TRIED TO DO A PHONE MODEM LINK-UP. WAS AIRPHONE SYS UNTESTED FOR A MODEM LOCK-UP? WAS NEW LAPTOP AT FAULT BY ITSELF? AIRPHONE VOICE WAS USED, NO PROBS RPTED. ENRTE TO CVG FROM ORD 3 PAX WERE ON PHONE. PAX #4 COULDN'T GET HIS CALL THROUGH -- THIS IS NORMAL. BACKGND NOISE WAS AS IF YOU DROVE UNDER HIGH PWR LINES AND WERE LISTENING TO AM RADIO.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.