A United Airlines flight departing from Newark Liberty International Airport en route to Palma de Mallorca, Spain was forced to turn back on Saturday. The flight took off at around 6 p.m. but returned to Newark by 9:37 p.m., as stated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
The Boeing 767 was carrying 190 passengers and 12 crew members. The incident arose when air traffic control reported a security investigation due to someone naming their Bluetooth device with a four-letter word.
A passenger reported on social media that crew members requested all Bluetooth devices be turned off multiple times. Despite these instructions, two devices remained active. After consultation with the airline’s headquarters in Chicago, the decision was made to turn the plane around.
Upon landing, passengers disembarked and the aircraft was inspected by Port Authority police. The passengers underwent further screening by TSA and Customs and Border Patrol before reboarding a replacement flight.
The airline did not provide detailed reasons for the event. The passengers later boarded a substitute flight with a new crew, departing early on Sunday and landing in Palma in the afternoon.
This incident follows several others for United Airlines this month. On Friday, another flight was rerouted due to an unruly passenger causing a security threat. Earlier, a United flight struck a semitrailer truck and a light pole while landing at Newark, with no injuries reported.
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