A United Airlines flight from Newark Liberty International Airport to Palma de Mallorca, Spain, was forced to turn back midair on Saturday following a possible security concern.
The Boeing 767 aircraft departed around 6 p.m. with 190 passengers and 12 crew members on board. However, the flight was diverted back to Newark, where it landed safely at 9:37 p.m., according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Reports from air traffic control audio suggested that the issue was triggered after a passenger reportedly named their Bluetooth device using a “four-letter word.” Crew members had repeatedly instructed passengers to switch off all Bluetooth devices, but two remained active during the flight. The situation was escalated after coordination with the airline’s operations center in Chicago.
Following the emergency return, passengers were asked to disembark while Port Authority police inspected the aircraft. The plane was also rescreened by TSA and Customs and Border Protection before passengers were allowed to reboard.
United Airlines did not disclose full details of the incident, citing security protocols. A replacement aircraft with a new crew later operated the flight, departing early Sunday and arriving in Palma de Mallorca in the afternoon.
This incident adds to a series of recent disruptions involving United Airlines, including a diverted domestic flight earlier in the week due to an unruly passenger and another incident earlier this month when a United aircraft struck a semitrailer truck and a light pole at Newark Airport, though no injuries were reported.
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