In a startling incident, two iPhones fell from Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 and miraculously survived a 16,000-foot drop. The Boeing 737 MAX 9 flight had to make an emergency landing in early January 2024 following a door plug blowout. The phones, discovered in working condition and intact, prompted an investigation by reporters from The Wall Street Journal.

Seeking to understand how the iPhones managed to survive the high-altitude fall, journalists conducted experiments at New Jersey's Sussex County Fairground. They dropped iPhone 14 and Samsung Galaxy S23 devices from heights of 3, 30, and 300 feet onto both grass and asphalt.

The test results revealed that both phones were able to endure falls onto grass from all tested altitudes without significant damage. Experts explained that the phenomenon of terminal velocity played a crucial role. Terminal velocity refers to the maximum speed an object can reach as it falls through a fluid, in this case, air. A physics professor stated that dropping phones from 300 feet is sufficient for them to reach their maximum speeds, regardless of whether they have protective cases.

When the phones were dropped onto asphalt, the iPhone's back glass shattered from a 30-foot fall, while the Samsung remained intact but bent. From a 300-foot drop, the iPhone suffered shattered glass around the camera but remained functional. On the other hand, the Samsung's rubber case tore upon landing on its bottom right corner, resulting in a bent phone that no longer turned on.

The experiments concluded that using a good phone case can significantly protect devices by providing cushioning. Additionally, the fact that the iPhones fell onto grass rather than asphalt played a crucial role in their survival. Grass offers greater cushioning and is softer than hard asphalt, helping explain why the devices remained intact after the 16,000-foot fall.

The Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 incident, caused by a door plug blowout mid-flight, has emerged as one of the significant aviation events of 2024. Concerns over the safety of the Boeing 737 MAX family of jets have renewed in their wake.

Following the incident, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered the temporary grounding of all Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft across the country for safety inspections. Multiple investigations have been initiated, including a comprehensive audit of the 737 MAX 9's production line and suppliers by the FAA. The investigation revealed serious flaws in the manufacturer's safety culture, leading the Department of Justice (DoJ) to open a criminal investigation into the Boeing 737 MAX 9 blowout case in late February 2024.

While the surviving iPhones from the Alaska Airlines incident have provided insights into the resilience of modern smartphones, the focus remains on addressing the broader issues surrounding aviation safety and the ongoing investigations into Boeing's safety practices.