Narrative:

I was a passenger on a propeller jet to dallas from mdw. Immediately after takeoff, the pilot came on the intercom and announced that a direction indicator was behaving erratically and that this was likely caused by an operating cell phone in the cabin. He said if the interference did not get better, the flight would have to return to mdw. A passenger rose from his seat and rummaged around in the overhead storage bin for about 1 min. The flight continued without incident. I stopped in the cockpit while deplaning and asked the crew what happened. They said the direction indicator began working shortly after their announcement. Both assumed that the passenger shut off the interfering phone. I asked if they would report this to the airline. They said no. I asked if they would report it via ASRS. They said no. I asked why not. They said that this was common, occurring up to twice a month, that the direction indicator sometimes failed for no apparent reason, and that they thought no one would be interested. Neither pilot had ever filed an ASRS report. Neither pilot had ever reported cellular telephone interference with a NAVAID to company management. I think that many such events may go unrpted.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PAX ON BOARD AN ACR FK100 CITES THE LACK OF INTEREST THE FLC HAD IN FILING A RPT WITH ASRS OR THEIR COMPANY OVER THE PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICE THAT A PAX HAD LEFT ON IN HIS BAG THAT AFFECTED THE ACFT'S DIRECTION INDICATOR WHILE 30 MI S OF MDW, IL.

Narrative: I WAS A PAX ON A PROP JET TO DALLAS FROM MDW. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF, THE PLT CAME ON THE INTERCOM AND ANNOUNCED THAT A DIRECTION INDICATOR WAS BEHAVING ERRATICALLY AND THAT THIS WAS LIKELY CAUSED BY AN OPERATING CELL PHONE IN THE CABIN. HE SAID IF THE INTERFERENCE DID NOT GET BETTER, THE FLT WOULD HAVE TO RETURN TO MDW. A PAX ROSE FROM HIS SEAT AND RUMMAGED AROUND IN THE OVERHEAD STORAGE BIN FOR ABOUT 1 MIN. THE FLT CONTINUED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I STOPPED IN THE COCKPIT WHILE DEPLANING AND ASKED THE CREW WHAT HAPPENED. THEY SAID THE DIRECTION INDICATOR BEGAN WORKING SHORTLY AFTER THEIR ANNOUNCEMENT. BOTH ASSUMED THAT THE PAX SHUT OFF THE INTERFERING PHONE. I ASKED IF THEY WOULD RPT THIS TO THE AIRLINE. THEY SAID NO. I ASKED IF THEY WOULD RPT IT VIA ASRS. THEY SAID NO. I ASKED WHY NOT. THEY SAID THAT THIS WAS COMMON, OCCURRING UP TO TWICE A MONTH, THAT THE DIRECTION INDICATOR SOMETIMES FAILED FOR NO APPARENT REASON, AND THAT THEY THOUGHT NO ONE WOULD BE INTERESTED. NEITHER PLT HAD EVER FILED AN ASRS RPT. NEITHER PLT HAD EVER RPTED CELLULAR TELEPHONE INTERFERENCE WITH A NAVAID TO COMPANY MGMNT. I THINK THAT MANY SUCH EVENTS MAY GO UNRPTED.

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.