CELL PHONE IN AEROPLANE ....DANGEROUS OR NOT ?

It's a fact of life for the frequent flier: Once the plane is off the ground, cell phones must be turned off and put away.

That's the rule and every commercial airline in the United States enforces it. But is there a good reason for this? Can a cell phone bring down a plane, or is that just a myth?

"The evidence strongly supports that there is a risk," said Bill Strauss, an electromagnetic interference expert.

Watch the story tonight on "20/20" at 10 ET. And look for other travel myths on next week's "20/20" airing Dec. 14.

According to Strauss, cell phones emit strong radio signals that could cause false readouts on an airplane's navigational equipment. Strauss and other researchers from Carnegie Mellon University invented a device that detects radio emissions from cell phones and other electronic devices. They tested 37 commercial flights and learned that on each flight between one to four cell phone calls were placed. But do those rule-breaking cell phones really affect the plane's equipment?
THE ANSWER IS UNCLEARED
SOURCE : ABC NEWS