AppleInsider Staff
Search and rescue teams were unable to find the airplane, which prompted one of the victims' relatives to try locating them with the Find My iPhone functionality, which uses an iPhone's GPS receiver to track the device's location. According to infobae.com (via Gizmodo), the relative shared the location data with military officials in charge of the search operation.
"One of the passengers carried (an iPhone). When it fell into the sea, it was located and one of the relatives sent us hat information," the military official reportedly said.
Unfortunately the remains of the CASA 212 vehicle were found with no survivors. Parts from the destroyed plane were found floating in the sea near Tierra Banca and Playa Larga.
The plane was said to have been severely damaged by the crash, with no pieces larger than 20 inches recovered from the crash site thus far. It is unknown how the iPhone managed to broadcast the location of the crash site following the crash.
Poor weather conditions are said to be hampering officials' efforts to recover the victims' bodies from the sea floor. Four have been discovered thus far.
Crews search for the remains of a crashed Chilean Air Force plane. Photo credit: The Associated Press.
In July, a skydiver dropped his iPhone 4 from his pocket while in freefall. Though the device was damaged, it managed to survive the fall in working order, and the skydiver was able to recover the handset by tracking it via GPS.
"It goes to show you if I crash land and need an ambulance, they can still track me down with the GPS," Jarrod McKinney said after the incident.
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91 Comments
Stewardess: TURN OFF YOUR EFF'N PHONE SIR!!!
Passenger: Wait Wait, I have one more green pig!
GPS doesn't work in Airplane Mode, right? So why did this passenger have their iPhone's GPS enabled. It's fortunate that they did, but it's curious nonetheless. We'll never know the whole story, but it would be scary to think that radio interference from mobile devices might be a factor in such crashes.
That is highly unlikely.
but it would be scary to think that radio interference from mobile devices might be a factor in such crashes.
GPS doesn't work in Airplane Mode, right? So why did this passenger have their iPhone's GPS enabled. It's fortunate that they did, but it's curious nonetheless. We'll never know the whole story, but it would be scary to think that radio interference from mobile devices might be a factor in such crashes.
Answer: Air force flight, not commercial flight.
As a private pilot I use my iPhone when flying. It does not affect my instruments at all. Different shielding, sensitivities and regulations in different types and purposes of planes.
That is highly unlikely.
I know. With aircraft gaining Wifi capability, technology has advanced enough where former concerns are now moot. And we're all being bombarded with radio waves all day long, so why would a small mobile device be a concern? The proximity of the transmitter inside the aircraft, I imagine.
I guess I'm just surprised because I tend to stay "inside the lines", following rules for the safety of everyone. So my curiosity is piqued when learning about someone who had no regard for the rules by leaving his device enabled. But again, I realize I don't have the full story, just a curiosity.