“Airplane mode” for a phone or a computer (or similar electronic device) suspends radio-frequency signal transmission by the device, and was originally intended for safe air travel. “Airplane mode” does not turn a phone into an airplane, but there are jokes.
 
“Dropped my phone, but I’m not worried…it was in airplane mode” was posted on Twitter on May 9, 2012. “Just dropped my phone. Luckily it was in airplane mode, so it circled the coffee table, landed safely and taxied next to the Argos catalogue” was posted on Twitter on March 2, 2014. “I dropped my phone from the roof. Don’t worry though, it’s on airplane mode so it should safely land” was posted on Twitter on May 21, 2014.
 
Other “airplane mode” jokes include “I just switched my phone to airplane mode and a small child appeared and started kicking me in the back” and “I put my phone on airplane mode. Now it won’t stop calling me Shirley.”
   
       
Wikipedia: Airplane mode
Airplane mode, aeroplane mode, flight mode, offline mode, or standalone mode is a setting available on many smartphones, portable computers, and other electronic devices that, when activated, suspends radio-frequency signal transmission by the device, thereby disabling Bluetooth, telephony, and Wi-Fi. GPS may or may not be disabled, because it does not involve transmitting radio waves.
 
The name comes from the prohibition by most of the airlines of using equipment transmitting radio-frequency signal while in flight; using airplane mode prevents devices from transmitting.
 
When the “aeroplane mode” is activated, it disables all voice, text, telephone, and other signal-transmitting technologies such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth can be enabled separately even while the device is in airplane mode; this is acceptable on some aircraft. Receiving radio-frequency signals, as by radio receivers and satellite navigation services, is not inhibited. However, even receiving telephone calls and messages without responding would require the phone to transmit; a smartphone in airplane mode is effectively a PDA.
       
Twitter 
Fonz‏
@King_Fonzworth
“@cassienugget: Just dropped my phone on the treadmill and that shit flew off 😓”- AIRPLANE MODE LOL
2:27 AM - 24 Jan 2012
 
Twitter
KC Robertson‏
@kcrobertson3
dropped my phone, but I’m not worried…
it was in airplane mode.
2:09 PM - 9 May 2012
   
Twitter
Jake White‏
@Jcolewhite
I just dropped my phone down so many stairs it turned itself in airplane mode. #pointlesshashtags
12:51 AM - 27 Dec 2013
   
Twitter
Maf‏
@Mafer1ck
Just dropped my phone. Luckily it was in airplane mode, so it circled the coffee table, landed safely and taxied next to the Argos catalogue
5:29 AM - 2 Mar 2014
 
Twitter
Andrew Fleer‏
@AndrewFleer
I dropped my phone from the roof. Don’t worry though, it’s on airplane mode so it should safely land.
12:59 PM - 21 May 2014
 
Twitter
John Henry Longson ©‏
@Johnlongson
I dropped my iPhone today but luckily it glided to safety.
It was on Airplane mode.
#ShitJokeSunday
4:40 AM - 5 Oct 2014
   
Twitter
Christopher Bueno‏
@BuenoC75
Accidentally dropped my phone from a 4 story balcony.  But it’s ok.  It was on “airplane mode”.
8:28 PM - 13 Aug 2015
   
Twitter
linpaws‏
@skcahlinpaws
I just dropped my phone from the 7th floor. I had my Airplane Mode on so it survived. #lamejokes #fml
7:51 AM - 17 Mar 2016
 
Reddit—Upforfun
[Jokes] Good Phone (self.UPFORFUN)
submitted September 15, 2016 by MISTERDUMBSTERbot
Good Phone
Dad: Hey son, do you know what happened today?Son: What happened daddy?Dad: I dropped my phone off the balcony by accident, and it didn’t even have a scratch.Son: Wow, that’s so cool daddy.Dad: Yeah, luckily it was on airplane mode.
   
Twitter
CHICAGLO ☀️‏
@balenciaglo
Boyyy I just dropped my phone But it was on Airplane mode so it landed safely 😩🤘🏼
10:20 PM - 24 May 2017
 
Reddit—Jokes
I accidentally dropped my phone from the 4th floor
submitted August 4, 2017 by Iathoi
Luckily it did not break because it was on airplane mode.
 
Reddit—Dad Jokes
I dropped my phone from the top of the Eiffel Tower (self.dadjokes)
submitted March 1, 2018 by DinglebarryHandpump
It’s ok, it was in airplane mode