The investigation into why an iPhone started spewing black smoke on a Regional Express flight in Australia has revealed the cause of the incident. A misplaced screw had punctured the battery casing, causing a short-circuit that made the battery overheat.
Flight crew on a trip from Lismore to Sydney last November noticed that black smoke had begun erupting from an iPhone, which had to be quickly put out with a fire extinguisher.
The phone was sent to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) as part of an investigation into the matter, which has now revealed that a misplaced screw punctured the battery casing, leading to a short circuit that caused the battery to overheat.
The screw that caused the problem was the result of an “screwed” up screen-replacement job by a non-authorized service center. The screw came from the bottom of the device, adjacent to the 30-pin connector. It found its way into the handset and caused the battery compartment to puncture.
Chief commissioner of the ATSB, Martin Dolan, warned against using unauthorized service centers for device repairs. “The incident… highlights the importance of good maintenance and repair processes for these devices, and the risk of using non-authorized repair agents.”
I’ve always taken my devices back to Apple for work such as this, I just don’t want to take any chances just to save a few bucks. Have any of you had work done by unauthorized repair shops? If so, please share your experiences with us in the comment section below.