Overview
- A United Airlines Boeing 767 with about 190 people on board returned to Newark after crew members and passengers saw a visible Bluetooth device name that read “BOMB,” prompting the pilots to declare an emergency by setting transponder code 7700.
- Cabin crew repeatedly ordered passengers to disable Bluetooth devices after receiving instructions from United’s operations center in Chicago and warned the flight would turn back if active signals remained.
- On landing, police and federal teams searched the cabin and hold, passengers exited with only passports and phones and were taken through airport security again before the aircraft later continued to Palma de Mallorca with a replacement crew.
- Passenger audio and media reporting say the device belonged to a 16-year-old who reportedly renamed the gadget as a prank; officials found no explosive device and no criminal charges have been announced while the FBI is reported to be investigating.
- Bluetooth device names broadcast to nearby phones and laptops, so a provocative visible name can trigger standard bomb-threat procedures that cause long delays, large security responses and potential legal or administrative consequences for the person who set the name.