Crew Turns Plane Around Over Bluetooth Device's Name

A four-letter word on a passenger's electronic device was enough to send a transatlantic flight back to New Jersey. United Flight 236 from Newark to Palma de Mallorca turned around over the Atlantic on Saturday after crew members were alerted to a discoverable Bluetooth device whose name raised a security red flag, according to air traffic control audio. The Boeing 767, carrying 190 passengers and 12 crew, squawked the 7700 emergency code and returned to Newark, AeroTime reports. Once there, passengers deplaned via airstairs and were rescreened by TSA and Customs while Port Authority police searched the jet, including its cargo hold.

Crew had repeatedly ordered passengers to shut off Bluetooth after saying two devices remained active, travelers posted online. After the crew consulting United's operations center in Chicago, the flight was diverted; a replacement aircraft with a new crew left early Sunday and landed safely in Spain. The episode is the latest in a string of flight disruptions tied to provocative wireless device names, including recent cases on Turkish Airlines and KLM in which hotspot names referencing bombs prompted searches and lengthy delays but no actual explosives.