This iPhone 4 survived a 1,000 foot fall from an airplane last week, says the man who dropped it.

U.S. Air Force Combat Controller Ron Walker was leaning out of the door over North Carolina to prep for a skydive when the phone slipped out of a velcro pocket on his jumpsuit.

He assumed it was lost, but a colleague downloaded the Find My iPhone app and they two discovered it at the bottom of a tree.

It was unscratched and still worked.

The phone had a thin Griffin plastic case and some metal backing, but otherwise was not protected. Walker speculates that the branches slowed the phone's fall.

Controller Walker sent these pictures along a few minutes ago. Thanks to TUAW, who first posted the story and pointed him our way.

Here's the back of the phone in its case:

Here's the approximate location where it fell:

And here's a closer look at the exact tree.