Narrative:

Flight was delayed in chicago by 3 hours because of snowy conditions and many passenger were upset at the inconvenience. During the dinner service phase of the flight, I was retrieving an item from the aft galley and noticed passenger using his cell phone. It was illuminated (on) and he was punching in numbers as if making a call. I pointed to the phone and said 'no, no, no. You can't use that phone on this plane.' passenger began yelling at me and stated he was only programming numbers into the phone. I said it didn't matter, please turn it off. He became very angry and said he wouldn't turn it off because there was no harm in it. I phoned the captain and he said turn it off. Relaying this to passenger, he then turned it off, still angry, still debating. Then a passenger behind him said he could use it just to program numbers and I phoned captain again relaying this information. He said to allow passenger to use his phone, but if problems arose, we would come to him first. Passenger considered that a 'threat' and became angry once again. He stopped using phone on his own after I showed him our PA card which states 'cell phones must be turned off in-flight.' after incident was over, I asked for passenger's name for my report and also got 2 witnesses' information (name, phone, address). Some people have told me that a cell phone can still pick up random signals when turned on for the purpose of programming numbers during a flight. This needs to be clarified. Even if not, it appears as if a call is being made when this is being done, and because of the severity of aircraft system interference, it is rather unnerving for a crew member to come across.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAX USED CELL PHONE INFLT.

Narrative: FLT WAS DELAYED IN CHICAGO BY 3 HRS BECAUSE OF SNOWY CONDITIONS AND MANY PAX WERE UPSET AT THE INCONVENIENCE. DURING THE DINNER SVC PHASE OF THE FLT, I WAS RETRIEVING AN ITEM FROM THE AFT GALLEY AND NOTICED PAX USING HIS CELL PHONE. IT WAS ILLUMINATED (ON) AND HE WAS PUNCHING IN NUMBERS AS IF MAKING A CALL. I POINTED TO THE PHONE AND SAID 'NO, NO, NO. YOU CAN'T USE THAT PHONE ON THIS PLANE.' PAX BEGAN YELLING AT ME AND STATED HE WAS ONLY PROGRAMMING NUMBERS INTO THE PHONE. I SAID IT DIDN'T MATTER, PLEASE TURN IT OFF. HE BECAME VERY ANGRY AND SAID HE WOULDN'T TURN IT OFF BECAUSE THERE WAS NO HARM IN IT. I PHONED THE CAPT AND HE SAID TURN IT OFF. RELAYING THIS TO PAX, HE THEN TURNED IT OFF, STILL ANGRY, STILL DEBATING. THEN A PAX BEHIND HIM SAID HE COULD USE IT JUST TO PROGRAM NUMBERS AND I PHONED CAPT AGAIN RELAYING THIS INFO. HE SAID TO ALLOW PAX TO USE HIS PHONE, BUT IF PROBS AROSE, WE WOULD COME TO HIM FIRST. PAX CONSIDERED THAT A 'THREAT' AND BECAME ANGRY ONCE AGAIN. HE STOPPED USING PHONE ON HIS OWN AFTER I SHOWED HIM OUR PA CARD WHICH STATES 'CELL PHONES MUST BE TURNED OFF INFLT.' AFTER INCIDENT WAS OVER, I ASKED FOR PAX'S NAME FOR MY RPT AND ALSO GOT 2 WITNESSES' INFO (NAME, PHONE, ADDRESS). SOME PEOPLE HAVE TOLD ME THAT A CELL PHONE CAN STILL PICK UP RANDOM SIGNALS WHEN TURNED ON FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROGRAMMING NUMBERS DURING A FLT. THIS NEEDS TO BE CLARIFIED. EVEN IF NOT, IT APPEARS AS IF A CALL IS BEING MADE WHEN THIS IS BEING DONE, AND BECAUSE OF THE SEVERITY OF ACFT SYS INTERFERENCE, IT IS RATHER UNNERVING FOR A CREW MEMBER TO COME ACROSS.

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.