Bluetooth speaker named "Bomb": Plane turns back over the Atlantic
A United Airlines plane aborted its journey because a passenger did not turn off his Bluetooth speaker with a joke name.
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In the USA, a plane had to turn around and return to its departure airport because the name of a Bluetooth device was considered a security risk and the device was not switched off despite repeated requests. This is reported by the news site NJ.com, citing the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which is responsible for airport operations, as well as reports from affected individuals. Flight 236 from United Airlines, with 190 passengers on board, had departed from Newark Airport on Saturday bound for Palma de Mallorca and returned hours later.
According to another media report, it was a 16-year-old passenger who gave the broadcast name of his Bluetooth speaker the name “Bomb” and did not turn off the device.
Annoyed by “little joke”
As NJ.com summarizes, citing various reports, the plane had been in the air for about an hour when passengers were asked via announcement to immediately turn off all Bluetooth devices. On Reddit, an allegedly affected fellow traveler explained that several more warnings followed, with the threat that otherwise a return flight would be necessary. This was eventually carried out, and in Newark, the passengers had to disembark and go through security checks again. Only hours later could the plane take off again. It finally reached Mallorca.
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The aviation portal AirLive reports, citing recordings of air traffic controller communications, that the 16-year-old had given his Bluetooth speaker the name “Bomb” as a joke. The name of his speaker appeared on the devices of his fellow passengers and the crew.
According to further reports, the crew asked passengers to turn off their devices. While most passengers complied with the request to turn off their devices, the term “Bomb” did not disappear from the device list. In the cabin, many just commented that this “little joke” had ruined the trip for everyone on board, it is said on Reddit. United Airlines only stated to US media that the flight had returned to address a potential security issue.
(mho)
