If you pay attention to world news, then you probably know about Alaska Airlines flight 1282. While climbing to its cruising altitude on a US domestic flight between Portland, Oregon, and Ontario, California, a panel in the fuselage of the Boeing 737 Max 9 plane simply blew off causing a loss of cabin pressure and a lot of things simply being thrown out into the air.
One of those things was an iPhone that was recovered by Seanathan Bates, a game designer and .NET application developer. He found it on the side of a road while taking a walk, and then of course proceeded to hand it over to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is investigating the incident.
The phone had an email from Alaska Airlines about a baggage receipt for flight 1282. Oh, and a broken-off charging plug – the force of the panel blowout simply ripped the cable apart. But, the iPhone is fine.
Now, we’ve seen a lot of drop tests during our time. But none like this – this iPhone survived being basically shot out of an airplane that was at about 16,000 feet at that moment – that’s almost 5,000 m altitude. And it fell to the ground, and it’s fine. We’re pretty sure Apple would never use this incident as advertising (after all, the ethics are highly questionable), but when it comes to durability, we can’t think of anything that would top this.
In case you’re wondering how a random fuselage panel can just blow out in mid-air like this, it turns out it’s not a random panel. For the same airplane model (Boeing 737 Max 9), some airlines other than Alaska Airlines order theirs with more seating. More seating means a legal requirement for more emergency exit doors, and this is exactly the position where one of those would have been.
For airlines that don’t have so many seats that there needs to be an additional emergency exit door over there (like Alaska Airlines), Boeing’s cost-effective solution was to replace the door with a permanent plug. This is what blew out, and it doesn’t seem like a coincidence at all. Of course, the NTSB’s investigation has only just started, so let’s see what the results will be.
Incredible as it may seem, an iPhone survived the potentially catastrophic blowout of a fuselage panel during an Alaska Airlines flight. The incident occurred on Alaska Airlines flight 1282 as it ascended to its cruising altitude somewhere between Portland, Oregon, and Ontario, California. A panel on the Boeing 737 Max 9 simply blew off, causing a sudden loss of cabin pressure and numerous objects to be expelled from the aircraft.
Among the items propelled out of the plane was an iPhone, which was discovered by Seanathan Bates, a game designer and .NET application developer. Bates stumbled upon the device while taking a walk and promptly handed it over to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the agency responsible for investigating the incident.
Despite experiencing the violent forces of being ejected from a plane flying at roughly 16,000 feet (almost 5,000 meters) above ground, the iPhone emerged unscathed. It even retained an email from Alaska Airlines regarding a baggage receipt for the ill-fated flight. Notably, the charging plug had broken off due to the sheer force of the panel blowout tearing the cable apart.
While the concept of drop tests is not uncommon, this incident showcases a remarkable level of durability. Surviving such an event is unparalleled, although it is unlikely that Apple would exploit this for promotional purposes given the ethical implications. Nevertheless, this incident underscores the iPhone’s remarkable resilience.
Understanding the circumstances surrounding the fuselage panel blowout is crucial. This specific panel in the Boeing 737 Max 9 is not arbitrary but rather connected to the presence of additional emergency exit doors. Airlines that opt for more seating, unlike Alaska Airlines, necessitate additional emergency exits. However, to avoid this expense, Boeing employed a cost-effective solution by installing a permanent plug. Regrettably, this plug is precisely what blew out during the flight, raising suspicions of a potential design flaw. The NTSB’s investigation, currently in its early stages, aims to shed light on this concerning event.
The survival of the iPhone amid this harrowing incident serves as a testament to its durability. As the investigation progresses, it will be essential to determine the root cause of the fuselage panel blowout and whether any design or manufacturing deficiencies were involved. The incident serves as a reminder of the paramount importance of prioritizing safety and engineering excellence in the aviation industry.
