Narrative:

This was a case of outsmarting myself. I departed solo and climbed to 34000 ft. I had a laptop computer which I use for electronic charts sitting in the empty co-pilot's seat. I decided to try to send my aircraft partner an email and connected a wi-fi card and antenna to the computer. This wi-fi card claims 500 milliwatt output; supposedly the most powerful available. I pointed directional antenna out of the co-pilot's side window toward the ground and sure enough started to pick up some home and business wi-fi sites on the ground in the albany area. I wrote a short email to my friend; pushed the send button and saw that the message was successfully transmitted. However the wi-fi site dropped out and I was unable to receive any messages. Of course; I'm in rvsm airspace on autoplt during this time under the control of boston center. I happened to glance at the co-pilot's GPS navigator; a garmin 530 and saw a message pop up -- 'poor GPS satellite coverage.' I turned to the satellite information page to find no signal strength for any satellites. Shortly thereafter the pilot's GPS navigator came up the same message. The autoplt could no longer navigate to a waypoint so I pushed heading mode while I worked the problem. You've guessed it. I turned off the wi-fi card while looking at the satellite information page. The signal strength of the satellite constellation popped up immediately to normal. I returned to navigation mode on the autoplt and all was well. Lesson: don't assume powerful radio transmitters onboard won't jam your GPS even if they transmit on different bands.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AC95 SINGLE PLT USES LAPTOP AND WI-FI CARD AT FL340 TO SEND EMAIL; WHICH ALLEGEDLY RESULTED IN LOSS OF GPS SATELLITE COVERAGE AND A CORRESPONDING DEGRADATION IN NAVIGATION CAPABILITY.

Narrative: THIS WAS A CASE OF OUTSMARTING MYSELF. I DEPARTED SOLO AND CLBED TO 34000 FT. I HAD A LAPTOP COMPUTER WHICH I USE FOR ELECTRONIC CHARTS SITTING IN THE EMPTY CO-PLT'S SEAT. I DECIDED TO TRY TO SEND MY ACFT PARTNER AN EMAIL AND CONNECTED A WI-FI CARD AND ANTENNA TO THE COMPUTER. THIS WI-FI CARD CLAIMS 500 MILLIWATT OUTPUT; SUPPOSEDLY THE MOST POWERFUL AVAILABLE. I POINTED DIRECTIONAL ANTENNA OUT OF THE CO-PLT'S SIDE WINDOW TOWARD THE GND AND SURE ENOUGH STARTED TO PICK UP SOME HOME AND BUSINESS WI-FI SITES ON THE GND IN THE ALBANY AREA. I WROTE A SHORT EMAIL TO MY FRIEND; PUSHED THE SEND BUTTON AND SAW THAT THE MESSAGE WAS SUCCESSFULLY TRANSMITTED. HOWEVER THE WI-FI SITE DROPPED OUT AND I WAS UNABLE TO RECEIVE ANY MESSAGES. OF COURSE; I'M IN RVSM AIRSPACE ON AUTOPLT DURING THIS TIME UNDER THE CTL OF BOSTON CENTER. I HAPPENED TO GLANCE AT THE CO-PLT'S GPS NAVIGATOR; A GARMIN 530 AND SAW A MESSAGE POP UP -- 'POOR GPS SATELLITE COVERAGE.' I TURNED TO THE SATELLITE INFORMATION PAGE TO FIND NO SIGNAL STRENGTH FOR ANY SATELLITES. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE PLT'S GPS NAVIGATOR CAME UP THE SAME MESSAGE. THE AUTOPLT COULD NO LONGER NAVIGATE TO A WAYPOINT SO I PUSHED HEADING MODE WHILE I WORKED THE PROBLEM. YOU'VE GUESSED IT. I TURNED OFF THE WI-FI CARD WHILE LOOKING AT THE SATELLITE INFORMATION PAGE. THE SIGNAL STRENGTH OF THE SATELLITE CONSTELLATION POPPED UP IMMEDIATELY TO NORMAL. I RETURNED TO NAVIGATION MODE ON THE AUTOPLT AND ALL WAS WELL. LESSON: DON'T ASSUME POWERFUL RADIO TRANSMITTERS ONBOARD WON'T JAM YOUR GPS EVEN IF THEY TRANSMIT ON DIFFERENT BANDS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.