Days after an Alaska Airlines plane suffered a blowout that left a gaping hole in the side of the fuselage, an iPhone that "likely" fell from the plane has been recovered — and against the odds, it still works.
At a height of about 4880m (nearly 5km), a plugged exit door on the jet's side tore open, depressurising the plane. A teenage boy's shirt was ripped off his body by the sudden change in pressure.
And evidently, a number of other items went out the opening as well.
A social media user claimed to have found the phone "still in airplane mode with half a battery and open to a baggage claim".
A spokesperson from the US's National Transportation Safety Board confirmed to the Guardian: "That was one of the phones collected that is likely from the flight... It has since been turned over to Alaska Airlines."
The door plug itself has also now been found after a search.
It's hoped the part will help investigators determine what went wrong on the flight.
The incident led to about 171 Boeing 737-9 Max jetliners worldwide being grounded for inspections.
Air New Zealand's operating fleet does not include any 737-9 Max jetliners.
And it's been revealed the plane involved in the incident — which rolled off the assembly line and received its certification two months ago — had previously been flagged for an issue with a warning light that could have indicated a pressurisation problem.
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