I've always thought the restrictions on mobile phones on airplanes is bunk. This article from Gizmodo made me think about a strange experience I had on the way back from Seattle aboard Carolina Pacific.

I routinely monitor a bunch of maritime VHF channels when underway, and one is 16 - which is also the international distress and hailing frequency. Elrod was using a Verizon analog/digital mobile phone to make a quick call home. As soon as the call connected, my VHF locked onto 16 and created a feedback loop with the phone. It seems that the phone chose 156.8Mhz as a carrier channel or a sympathetic channel. That could be a real problem on a flight deck that is either monitoring another aircraft's mayday, or making a call themselves.