The original reason planes required “Airplane Mode” had nothing to do with planes
I was on an airplane the other day when the flight attendant came on the PA to remind us: “Switch your cellphones to ‘airplane mode.” The guy next to me chuckled and said, “Like our cellphones could actually crash a plane’s navigation system! Haha.”
But the truth? It’s even more interesting than that.
It all started with cell towers, not planes
Our story kicks off in 1991, when the FCC banned cell phone use during flights. LiveScience reports that the reason wasn’t interference with the plane—it was interference with ground networks.
In the 1990s, rural cell towers weren’t built to handle hundreds of phones flying over them at 500 miles per hour, rapidly switching from one tower to the next. The fear was that airplane calls could overwhelm networks, not that they’d cause planes to nosedive.
But rumors of cellphones crashing plane systems did exist. The FAA wasn’t taking any chances. In 1992, it asked the RTCA to study whether electronics—like laptops or Game Boys—could interfere with airplane systems. They found no evidence of interference but still recommended banning devices during takeoff and landing, just in case. But the in-flight ban didn’t originate with the FAA.
Autopilot myths and lab tests
The rumors didn’t stop. In the 1990s, Boeing looked into cases where crews reported issues like autopilot disconnects and instrument malfunctions linked to passenger devices. But in lab tests, they couldn’t replicate the glitches.
Still, the FAA played it safe, keeping restrictions in place—even though they couldn’t prove the risk existed.
Attempts to lift the ban? Stuck on the ground
By the 2000s, airplane technology and cell networks had improved. The FCC briefly considered lifting the ban in 2006, but ultimately decided there wasn’t enough evidence to declare it safe.
Meanwhile, studies showed that passengers were already making 1–4 calls per flight, rules or not. Even airline crews weren’t immune—a 2009 case involved a pilot’s ringtone going off during takeoff.
The FAA’s response? Remind crews to follow their own rules.
Phones won’t crash a plane—but don’t test your flight attendant
Let’s face it. The biggest risk skipping airplane mode today isn’t interference—it’s getting into it with your flight attendant. But why bother? They already have a hard enough job. So why not cut them some slack? Flip on airplane mode and connect to the in-flight Wi-Fi instead. You’ll avoid a confrontation—and still get to text at 30,000 feet.
