United Airlines Flight Returns After Bluetooth Device Named 'BOMB' Triggers Security Alert
This four-letter Bluetooth name forced a United Airlines flight into a mid-air U-turn
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A United Airlines flight from Newark to Spain was forced to return mid-flight due to a Bluetooth device named 'BOMB,' which prompted a security scare. The incident led to a thorough security check upon landing, revealing the device was a harmless Fitbit belonging to a teenager. Passengers were later transferred to a replacement flight.
- 01United Airlines Flight 236, carrying 190 passengers, was diverted back to Newark Liberty International Airport after a Bluetooth device triggered a security alert.
- 02The crew received reports of a suspicious device named 'BOMB,' leading to strict orders for passengers to turn off Bluetooth connections.
- 03Upon landing, the aircraft was evacuated and inspected by law enforcement and security agencies.
- 04The source of the alarm was a harmless Fitbit device belonging to a 16-year-old passenger, who had renamed it as a prank.
- 05No charges were filed against the teenager, but the FBI has initiated an inquiry into the incident.
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On Saturday night, United Airlines Flight 236, a Boeing 767 en route from Newark Liberty International Airport to Palma de Mallorca, Spain, was forced to return mid-flight due to a security scare involving a Bluetooth device named 'BOMB.' Approximately 90 minutes into the flight, crew members received reports of the device, prompting them to issue repeated announcements for passengers to disable Bluetooth connections. When some devices remained active, the pilots decided to turn back. After landing safely in Newark at 9:37 PM, the aircraft was taxied to a remote area where Port Authority Police and other security agencies conducted a thorough inspection. The alarm was traced back to a harmless Fitbit belonging to a 16-year-old passenger who had humorously renamed it. Following the security sweep, passengers were rescreened and transferred to a replacement flight, which eventually took off early Sunday morning, arriving in Palma de Mallorca nearly ten hours late.
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The incident caused significant disruption to the flight schedule and required a comprehensive security response.
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