I checked this on Snopes, but found nothing.

A friend sent this concerning the Boeing 777 that crashed short of the
runway in London a few weeks ago.


Well, the British aircraft accident investigation board has finally
come around to the conclusion that I made several weeks ago: the event was
RF-induced.

Prime Minister Dr. Gordon Brown's motorcade was passing under the
approach path of BA038. His security system utilised a RF transmitter to block out
any cell-phone triggered devices. Apparently this system has a two mile
range, and it caused the Boeing 777 EEC's (electronic engine controls) to sense a
"overboost" situation, thereby commanding a reduced-thrust situation for
the engines, simultaneously. Most interesting.

We'll see how Boeing and the BAA handle this one. This could be
potentially bad, in view of the simplicity of technology that the bad guys
could use to bring down an airliner.

 

You're gettin lots of nibbles there Capt'n, but nobody's biting.

 

Yeah...it does sound like B.S. doesn`t it?

 

Sounds like Enquirer material, but it's not totally far-fetched. The DoD spends a lot of money hardening critical systems against electromagnetic spectrum attacks.

There's little doubt that at close range the SPY-1 phased-array radar on Ticonderoga class cruisers or Arleigh Burke class destroyers could interfere with various systems on a fly-by-wire civilian aircraft.

 

I'll bite.

Here is a link to the latest on this from the AAIB (British version of the NTSB):

http://www.aaib.dft.gov.uk/latest_ne...in_s1_2008.cfm

In the report they said the left engine thrust reduction happened ~ 7 seconds after the right engine. They also said the data shows the EECs slewed the fuel metering valves further open to attempt to increase thrust. So I would say the EEC was not the issue.
They also apparently found evidence of fuel pump cavitation on both engines (even though the plane had enough fuel on board).

What does it all mean? I think you're right. RF-induced failure, but not from a car below. It was an airliners.net pax who had video camera, iPod, and cell phone on.

 

I'm a little skeptical, but hey anything is possible.

One of the certification requirements for the airplane is the ability to operate normally in the presence of external EMI - especially critical systems such as flight controls and propulsion.

The EECs and all of the related wiring is heavily shielded to prevent such an event. It's possible that the ground on a shield or the EEC itself could be disconnected which could allow a stray signal to interfere with system operation.

 

There was an F-16 back in 98 that went down about 100 miles from my friends FFG...it flew over a CG and started going crazy. The pilot ejected but froze in the cold water off Korea before he got picked up. http://www.f-16.net/news_article325.html

I don't think a mobile blocking device would have enough power to mess up a 777... but sure makes you think.

 

me thinks that's just a conspiracy theory.

the engines were not running at all when the crash trucks arrived and the power loss was well before the road

 

Will Mr.Rod Serling pick up the white courtesy phone!