United Flight Turns Around Mid-Flight After Threatening Bluetooth Name Alarms Crew

United Airlines has been grounding many flights lately, but one in particular was forced to turn around after a Bluetooth device was found labeled "bomb." The flight, which was heading for Spain with 190 passengers, had to land back at the Newark Liberty International Airport three-and-a-half hours after taking off. After seeing the alarming name pop up, the crew asked for all Bluetooth devices to be shut off — but it remained on. "We're returning back to Newark because we have one passenger that seems to be making a funny joke that isn't so funny," the pilot can be heard saying in footage of the flight shared on CNN's TikTok. "It's going to be compromising the safety of this flight." He went on to call the passenger "foolish" for causing such a disruption. 

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A United Airlines flight bound for Spain turned around midair due to a possible security threat, after someone named their Bluetooth device a "certain four-letter word," according to air traffic control audio. #cnn #news #aviation

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The security risk meant the aircraft had to be inspected and passengers had to be re-screened, hence the turnaround. The flight was delayed until the following morning. The Bluetooth name was attached to a 16-year-old's Fitbit device. They haven't been charged yet, but the FBI still has to investigate the situation.

It's not illegal to say "bomb" while on an airplane, but 18 U.S.C. 35 states that a "bomb hoax," which includes spreading false information "regarding attempts to destroy, damage, or disable" the aircraft, is a felony. The maximum penalty is $5,000 or five years imprisonment — or both. Since the teenager didn't directly threaten the passengers or make false claims, they may not fall under the definition of a bomb hoax. However, previous bomb threats that led to delayed flights and prosecution were nothing more than verbal or written statements. This includes a man saying he had a bomb in his luggage and someone writing a bomb threat on a vomit bag.

Bomb threats have been around since the 1930s and are often not serious. It's difficult for a bomb to get past security measures in airports with the latest technology (and TSA gets stricter and stricter regarding batteries and other gadgets), so sneaking one onto a plane isn't easy. But since a real bomb on board would be catastrophic, none of them can be ignored. The turnarounds and delays caused by bomb threats are quite expensive, with protocol warning planes to land at the nearest airport and taxi to an isolated area for a search.