United Airlines Flight Returns to Newark Over Suspicious Bluetooth Device Name

A United Airlines flight from Newark Liberty International Airport to Palma de Mallorca, Spain, turned back mid-flight on Saturday due to a potential security concern involving a Bluetooth device on board. The Boeing 767, carrying 190 passengers and 12 crew members, departed around 6 p.m. but returned to Newark after about 3 hours and 37 minutes in the air, landing at 9:37 p.m., according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

United Airlines confirmed the flight turned around to address a security issue but declined to provide further specifics. Passengers reported that flight attendants repeatedly asked them to turn off Bluetooth devices, but two devices remained active. Air traffic control audio archived by LiveATC.net revealed that security personnel were called to inspect the aircraft after a Bluetooth device was found with a name containing a “certain four-letter word.”

Passengers on social media identified the word as “BOMB,” with one TikTok user sharing a video from Palma de Mallorca after the flight eventually arrived about nine and a half hours late. Another post on Reddit, from someone claiming to be a passenger’s spouse, said the device belonged to a teenager.

Following the return, passengers were evacuated while Port Authority police, Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers conducted a thorough inspection and re-screening before allowing passengers to board a replacement flight with a new crew. This replacement flight departed early Sunday and landed in Palma de Mallorca in the afternoon.

This incident follows another recent United Airlines security event on Friday, when a flight from Chicago to Minneapolis was diverted to Madison, Wisconsin, due to an unruly passenger attempting to breach the cockpit. Additionally, on May 3, a United Airlines flight landing at Newark Liberty struck a light pole and a delivery truck, injuring the truck driver slightly but causing no other reported injuries.

The airline has not provided further details on the Bluetooth device incident, but the response included a full security sweep of the aircraft and passenger evacuation, underscoring the airline’s caution in handling potential threats.