iPhone X Emerges Unscathed after Being Dropped 11,000 ft from an Airplane

BY Mahit Huilgol

Published 23 Aug 2021

Most of us love it when iPhones are subjected to drop tests. It is immensely satisfying to see how well the iPhone fares in a drop test. This time around, an iPhone X has passed a drop test from 11,000 feet! Yes, an iPhone X has accidentally dropped from an airplane at 11,000 feet, and it survived to tell the tale.

We couldn’t help but recall a story last year wherein iPhone 6 was dropped from an airplane at 984 feet. It is prevalent for iPhone to slip from hands while taking selfies or capturing a scenic view. Typically smaller airplanes come with a plexiglass canopy. Pilots can open a part of this canopy to take pictures. The pilot claims that he has been using iPhone X to capture photos in-flight. However, things turned out different this time. The plane hit a small pocket of turbulence, and the iPhone X was sucked out.

At about 6:30pm CDT I was over farmland about 50 miles north of Memphis, traveling about 175mph at 11,500 feet. I noticed an interesting billowing cloud formation off to my right and decided to take a picture. The Diamond DA40 has a large plexiglass canopy with small side windows that can be opened in flight. Opening these windows provides a way to take pictures without the distortion of the canopy. But one must be careful not to hold objects too close to the window as the 175mph slipstream can suck out anything you’re holding.

Retrieving the iPhone X

The pilot mentally wrote off iPhone X as it was already a four-year-old phone. The following day, the pilot took his spare iPhone 6s to the AT&T store and activated the new SIM. He was surprised to find the last location for his iPhone X. The map on his iPhone 6s showed that the previous transmission was near Arkansas the previous evening.

He was surprised that the iPhone had survived a fall from 11,000 feet. Soon enough, the iPhone owner hopped on a flight to Arkansas and got into a car. The iPhone X was resting in the middle of an irrigated field. Despite enduring a fall from 11,000 feet, the iPhone showed no signs of damage. Furthermore, the device started charging without a fuss when connected to the USB lightning cable. When was the last time you dropped your iPhone? Let us know in the comments below.

[via Diamond Aviators]