A B727 PIC RPT ON CELL PHONE INTERFERENCE WITH VOR SIGNALS. THE CDI WAS SCALLOPING; AN INDICATION OF RADIO FREQ INTERFERENCE. EMI.

1998-08 · NASA ASRS report 412997

Date: 1998-08 · Aircraft: B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model · Phase: climb

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-less-severe|deviation-track-heading-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|other-unspecified

Synopsis

A B727 PIC RPT ON CELL PHONE INTERFERENCE WITH VOR SIGNALS. THE CDI WAS SCALLOPING; AN INDICATION OF RADIO FREQ INTERFERENCE. EMI.

Narrative

RADAR VECTOR 180 DEGS TO INTERCEPT J6 BTWN ALB AND SAX. CDI DEFLECTION FULL L (ACFT SHOWN R OF COURSE). I LOOKED AND ADJUSTED THE ENGS AND THEN OBSERVED COURSE CAPTURE. I WAS SURPRISED HOW FAST WE HAD A CTRED CDI. I MADE A R 25 DEG BANK TURN BUT STARTED TO DRIFT FURTHER L OF COURSE. FINAL HDG 240 DEGS. I WAS THINKING THAT WE MUST BE ENCOUNTERING A STRONG XWIND. THE FO WAS TUNED INTO SAX 209 DEG INBOUND COURSE. HE NOTICED I WAS FLYING AWAY FROM HIS COURSE. I INITIATED A TURN BACK L FEELING THAT HIS WAS CORRECT; BUT NOT CERTAIN AT THIS POINT IN TIME UNTIL CTR ASKED US WHAT OUR HDG WAS. MY CDI AND FLT DIRECTOR WAS STILL CALLING FOR A R TURN; BUT WAS FLUCTUATING 8-10 DEGS OFF TO THE R. I TUNED IN SAX; BUT ALSO HAD INCONSISTENT INFO FROM THE FO'S NAV/RADIO. CELL PHONE ACTIVITY WAS SUSPECTED. A PA WAS MADE FOR PAX TO MAKE SURE THEIR PHONES WERE OFF. A COUPLE PAX MADE THE CHKS IN CARRY-ON BAGS. THE CDI STABILIZED SHORTLY AFTER THE PA. ACTUAL COURSE DEV WAS ONLY A COUPLE MI OFF (EARLY) AND NO CONFLICT OCCURRED. THIS RPT IS MADE IN CASE YOU TRACK POSSIBLE CELL PHONE INTERFERENCE IN THE B727 OR OTHER ACFT.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.

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