A United Airlines flight carrying more than 190 passengers was forced to make an unexpected U-turn over the Atlantic after a teenager’s Bluetooth device triggered a security scare by broadcasting the name “Bomb”.
The incident occurred on May 30 aboard a United Airlines flight travelling from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey to Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
Flight tracking data showed the Boeing 767 departed Newark at around 6pm with 190 passengers and 12 crew members on board. However, after nearly three hours in the air, the aircraft abruptly turned around and returned to its departure airport.
According to reports, the alarm was raised after crew members detected a Bluetooth device displaying a suspicious name containing the word “Bomb”.
Passengers later claimed the cabin crew repeatedly asked travellers to switch off their Bluetooth-enabled devices after identifying potentially threatening device names that remained visible on nearby connections.
Despite several announcements, two unidentified devices reportedly continued broadcasting names that raised security concerns.
After consulting United Airlines’ operations centre in Chicago, the flight crew decided to return to Newark as a precautionary measure.
Upon landing, all passengers were instructed to leave the aircraft while airport police and security personnel carried out a comprehensive search of the cabin.
Travellers were also required to undergo another round of security screening before being allowed to board a replacement flight.
Investigators later determined that the suspicious device belonged to a 16-year-old passenger and was actually a Fitbit smartwatch.
Authorities found that the teenager had simply renamed the device “Bomb”, triggering the false alarm.
Although the incident caused major disruption to the flight, the teenager has not been charged with any criminal offence.
However, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has reportedly opened an investigation into the incident.
United Airlines has not provided further details regarding the case.
Passengers eventually resumed their journey aboard a replacement aircraft operated by a new flight crew during the early hours of May 31 and later arrived safely in Palma de Mallorca that afternoon.
The incident marks the latest in a series of unusual disruptions involving United Airlines.
Earlier in May, another passenger reportedly received a warning from a pilot after giving a mobile hotspot an inappropriate name. The airline also faced other operational incidents during the same month, including a landing mishap at Newark Airport and a separate flight diversion linked to disruptive passenger behaviour.
While no actual threat was found on board, the incident serves as a reminder that even seemingly harmless jokes can trigger serious security responses when aviation safety is involved.
