When the radios were turned off, the gyros resumed functioning. In the early 1980s, strong electromagnetic emissions from a U.S. aircraft carrier triggered the emergency ejector seat of a British jump jet that was attempting to land on the carrier's flight deck. The ejector propelled the pilot through the jet's canopy with explosive force, killing him instantly. Signals from cell phones, portable radios and digital TV stations sometimes cause medical equipment to malfunction in hospitals. Cardiac monitors, pharmaceutical delivery devices, neonatal radiant heaters and other types of equipment are most susceptible to the problem.
Stray emissions can trigger explosives that are hooked to radio-controlled detonators.
This is why motorists are advised to turn off their radios when driving through areas where blasting is in progress. The FCC and international groups are attempting to modify standards to reduce EMI problems in the future, but the proliferation of new electronic devices so far has overwhelmed their ability to respond. Click here to send your ideas to The Sun. An online publication of The Sun newspaper of Bremerton, Wash., a Scripps Howard newspaper.