An Austin man was cited by police after refusing to get off his cell phone during a flight.

It's a fact of life for fliers that you must turn off your cell phone before a plane takes off.

But Joe Jones didn't on Monday, and during the flight got an emergency message about his father having a heart attack.

“He was to call the cardiac unit immediately,” said family friend Mark Clayton.

The Austin businessman called back and then refused requests to hang up for 20 minutes.

“He made the decision that it was important to deal with the care of his father at a time when it might make the difference between whether he lived or died,” said Clayton.

Police waiting for his flight in Dallas cited Jones for disorderly conduct.

The Federal Aviation Administration prohibits cell phones in flight even though experts debate whether they actually interfere with navigational systems.

Some travelers believe rules should be changed for emergency situations.

“Obviously, yeah, I think that would be a great thing to have,” said passenger David Slayton.

Passenger Gail Ellenbogen added, “if it’s an emergency situation what can you say its an emergency situation you need to know what’s going on.”

European airlines are taking it a step further.  Air France is experimenting with letting passengers talk anytime they want.

Of course, not every traveler wants a talkative neighbor.

“I can’t image listening to someone having a personal conversation for three hours,” said passenger Ariana Arciero.

As for Joe Jones, he made a split second decision hoping to save his father's life. Clayton said it was an unfortunate situation.  “He didn’t feel like he had a choice and he did what he need to do to take care of his father.”

The FAA wants to collect more data before allowing passengers to use cell phones.

Joe Jones’s father, remains in critical condition.