New Zealand: Lawmaker fined for making phone call from plane

New Zealand's transport minister said Monday he will pay a small fine for violating aviation rules by making a cellphone call from a plane. The Civil Aviation Authority fined Phil Twyford 500 New Zealand dollars ($340) for breaching rules it says were intended to prevent electromagnetic interference with aircraft instruments. The authority said that because Twyford ended his call before takeoff, it didn't pose a significant risk to the safety of the flight. Twyford had earlier stepped down from his role overseeing aviation safety after making the call to a staffer in May. Twyford said Monday he can't recall the exact chronology of the call, but that his phone records and airline records indicated he'd been on the phone for about three minutes while the plane was taxiing but before takeoff. Cellphone calls are banned after the doors are closed in preparation for takeoff. <br/>