Can your cell phone bring down a plane?

Maybe it was accidental, or maybe it was out of sheer contempt for a rule you believe is unnecessary.Almost one-third of airplane passengers reported that they left on a portable electronic device during the previous year, according to a survey by the Consumer Electronics Association.This month, a government industry group studying the safety of personal electronic devices on planes will deliver its findings and recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration. The report may lead to looser rules on e-readers and similar devices on planes.

"The FAA recognizes consumers are intensely interested in the use of personal electronics aboard aircraft,' said an FAA spokesperson. "That is why we tasked a government-industry group to examine the safety issues and the feasibility of changing the current restrictions. The group is meeting again this week and is expected to complete a report to the FAA by the end of the month. We will wait for the group to finish its work before we determine next steps."But it raises a big question: Can cell phones bring down planes? Are e-books really that dangerous below 10,000 feet? Can Bluetooth kill?

In a search for answers, we traveled from coast to coast, talking to experts and reviewing recent reports. Here's what we found.We can find no instance in which electromagnetic interference from a portable electronic device brought down a commercial plane or was a contributing factor in an accident. And the National Transportation Safety Board says it has never issued a recommendation about such devices on planes.But those who flatly say there's no evidence that electronic devices have caused interference on planes are wrong.

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