In-Flight Entertainment Systems Raise Safety Concerns

Many airline passengers enjoy planes' onboard entertainment systems, which let them choose movies, TV shows, songs and games on certain long flights. However, many are concerned
that the systems "under each seat's arm rest generates too much heat — 105 to 115 degrees — when not in use." A USA Today analysis of FAA data indicates airline maintenance workers "filed nearly 400 reports of difficulty with the systems to the Federal Aviation Administration during the past 10 years," and in "the most serious cases, smoke from the systems forced pilots to shut them down and make emergency landings." These reports worry safety advocates, "many of whom are mindful of the Canadian government's claim that not enough safety improvements have been made since investigators cited an electrical wiring problem as the likely cause of a Swissair jet crash 11 years ago." Read more.