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Find My iPhone helps find Chilean plane crash site

by Kelly Hodgkins Sep 7th 2011 at 1:30PM

We've seen many stories of iOS owners using Find My iPhone to retrieve a lost or stolen device. But this may be the first time, the technology was used to help find a missing airplane.

Last week, a military airplane disappeared off Chile's Pacific coast and all 21 people aboard were killed instantly in the crash. Four bodies were recovered soon after the accident, but the exact location of the crash site remains unknown. As part of its recovery effort, the government has turned to technology to help locate the wreckage and remaining victims.

Besides sonar equipment, Chilean officials are also using GPS co-ordinates provided to them by a relative of one of the victims. The victim had an iPhone that reported its GPS location to Apple's Find My iPhone service. The phone presumably remained on up until it hit the water.

This last location may help the government retrieve the missing fuselage. Once found, Chilean officials could determine the cause of the crash and hopefully bring closure to the relatives of the victims. Our thoughts go out to all who were affected by this tragic accident.

[Via 9to5 Mac]



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We've seen many stories of iOS owners using Find My iPhone to retrieve a lost or stolen device. But this may be the first time, the...
 

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Alex Harasic

As Diego says, that's the best guess. The iPhone just sent out Its location when it reached the cell network in the island. Find my iPhone then shows the last location ever recorded, so it's not that it kept sending a signal when it reached the water.

September 07 2011 at 11:37 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Diego Peñailillo

No, it isn't fake. I'm from Chile and this iPhone news came on national TV from our government. The crash happend when the plane was near Robinson Crusoe island, which has mobile networks, so my best guess is that the iPhone sent its last known position just before or after the crash itself, and that is was on and not on plane mode.
FYI, the idea that a modern mobile phone, a digital one, can make a modern plane crash, is pretty much a myth. LOTS of pilots do not turn off their phones onboard, just do some research.

It's a terrible tragedy, and it's quite possible that some of the bodies will not be recovered (for quite a lot of reasons).

September 07 2011 at 8:24 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
silvertech

the fact that they are able to use the phone's signal to find the device is worrysome, that tells you that they didnt turn off their phone before they got on the plane, maybe that played a role in the crash

September 07 2011 at 7:11 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jonathan Badeen

Doesn't Find my iPhone only check the current location? To my understanding, the location is not tracked until a user is actually viewing the Find My iPhone web page or using the app. It doesn't constantly monitor location. Unless the relative was using Find My iPhone while the person was flying then this would be useless.

September 07 2011 at 5:51 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Jonathan Badeen's comment
silvertech

No, it works once you have the account logged onto the phone and it will work on the background anytime that it is connected to the internet, i imagine that this person didnt turn off their phone before they got on the plane and thats how they were able to get a signal through 2/3G. the find iphone app does NOT need to be installed or logged on to be able to locate the device

September 07 2011 at 7:10 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
César

I tell you guys, in this search an "indigo child medium" is helping in locating the bodies so... this is only a fake. Greetings from Santiago de Chile

September 07 2011 at 5:40 PM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
Rodrigo

Antonio, underwater .. It's great

September 07 2011 at 5:18 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Antonio Parracho

Chilean network works over the water? Its better that at my place in Portugal...

September 07 2011 at 2:33 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
robogobo

I wonder if the fact that this victim's phone wasn't in airplane mode will make it a suspected contributor to the crash.

September 07 2011 at 2:29 PM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
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