A United Airlines flight bound for Spain was forced to return to Newark Liberty International Airport on Saturday after a teenager's Fitbit, which he had named 'bomb,' appeared on available Bluetooth devices, causing a security scare.
Incident Details
The flight, United 236, departed Newark at approximately 6 p.m. local time heading to Palma de Mallorca, Spain. However, it turned around and landed back at Newark by around 9:30 p.m. after security was alerted to a suspicious Bluetooth device onboard that showed up as 'bomb,' according to sources. Passengers were instructed to turn off their devices, but the alarming name remained active.
It was later determined that the device was a Fitbit belonging to a 16-year-old passenger. The plane was forced to turn back, and passengers had to evacuate as Port Authority police swept the aircraft. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers re-screened all passengers before they boarded again.
Airline and Authorities Respond
A United Airlines spokesperson stated on Sunday, 'United flight 236 from Newark to Palma de Mallorca, Spain safely returned to Newark to address a potential security concern. The flight continued on to Palma de Mallorca with a new crew.' The airline directed further inquiries to local authorities.
The unidentified teenager has not faced any local charges, but the FBI is now investigating the situation, sources said.
Related Incident: Qantas Flight Drama
Last month, a similar mid-air incident occurred on an international Qantas flight. A man was removed from the plane after allegedly biting a crew member. The Dallas-bound Qantas flight, which departed Melbourne, was diverted to Tahiti, where the passenger was handed over to local police and banned from the airline. Video footage captured the passenger stumbling out of the toilet and swearing at staff and passengers before being restrained by Tahitian police.
The Fitbit device had been named 'bomb,' as shown in pictures from the incident.
This article originally appeared in the New York Post and is reproduced here with permission.
