A passenger using an iPhone mid-flight allegedly caused a compass malfunction on a US plane that sent it several kilometres off course.
Business site Bloomberg reports that the compass came good at the same time a flight attendant asked the passenger in row 9 to switch off their smartphone.
Bloomberg reports that despite recent calls for rules to be relaxed surrounding switching off phone functionality in-flight, airlines have logged dozens of cases where passenger electronics were believed to have interfered with navigation systems.
The incident is understood to have taken place in 2011.
The website AppleInsider said that modern wireless interference is believed to be associated with cellular radios in phones.
"That's why airlines that use the iPad as an electronic flight bag do not use cellular-capable versions of Apple's touchscreen tablet," AppleInsider said.
