https://www.npr.org/2026/05/31/nx-s1-5841913/united-airlines-flight-diversion-bluetooth

A United Airlines flight from Newark, N.J., to Palma de Mallorca, Spain, pulled a U-turn late Saturday over what appears to have been a suspiciously named Bluetooth device on board.

Flight tracking data shows that the flight, which should have landed in Spain after a nearly eight-hour flight, instead returned to Newark after 4 hours and 24 minutes in the air.

United Airlines told NPR via email that the flight turned around "to address a potential security concern."

"There's a security detail out there, someone had a Bluetooth speaker and they named it a certain four-letter word," another voice responded. "So they have to inspect the whole aircraft including the cargo area [and] passengers have to evacuate."

"There is an active Bluetooth network labeled 'BOMB,' "

---

555

I think the next time fly I'll name the Bluetooth tracker on my luggage “DRUGS“ and see if anything happens.

2 minutes ago, gargamon said:

I think the next time fly I'll name the Bluetooth tracker on my luggage “DRUGS“ and see if anything happens.

Its a good reminder that the humanity is literally going to hell!

There is no Hope

7 minutes ago, gargamon said:

A United Airlines flight from Newark, N.J., to Palma de Mallorca, Spain, pulled a U-turn late Saturday over what appears to have been a suspiciously named Bluetooth device on board

I heard that it was a woman's vibrator (sex toy).

Edited June 1Jun 1 by SAFETY FIRST

21 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

I heard that it was a woman's vibrator (sex toy).

Actually it was mine.

22 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

I heard that it was a woman's vibrator (sex toy).

It was a bluetooth speaker. My speaker is so good it's the “BOMB“.

Apparently some Karen on the plane reported it and caused the kerfuffle.

Why did the plane on a less than 8 hour flight turn back after it was more than halfway to it's destination?

I guess it was Bluetooth headphones/earbuds as opposed to an actual speaker.

Edited June 2Jun 2 by wil iam not

Why did the plane on a less than 8 hour flight turn back after it was more than halfway to it's destination?

I guess it was Bluetooth headphones/earbuds as opposed to an actual speaker.

I wondered the same thing. Apparently, it was less than 2 hours out and the 4:24 time in the OP was total time in the air.

https://aviationsourcenews.com/united-airlines-flight-diverted-over-atlantic-after-bluetooth-device-named-bomb/

Edited June 2Jun 2 by impulse

2 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

I heard that it was a woman's vibrator (sex toy).

Sex bomb ?

5 minutes ago, impulse said:

I wondered the same thing. Apparently, it was less than 2 hours out and the 4:24 time in the OP was total time in the air.

https://aviationsourcenews.com/united-airlines-flight-diverted-over-atlantic-after-bluetooth-device-named-bomb/

returned to Newark after 4 hours and 24 minutes in the air.

I wonder whether they arrested the passenger, and make him pay for the diversion. I would! And prevent him from EVER flying again, like they are suggesting about disruptive pax in UK.

Edited June 2Jun 2 by wil iam not

2 hours ago, gargamon said:

I think the next time fly I'll name the Bluetooth tracker on my luggage “DRUGS“ and see if anything happens.

It was a speaker, not a tracker, or so the OP says.

returned to Newark after 4 hours and 24 minutes in the air.

From the linked article.

Flight UA236, operated by 767-400ER registered N67052, departed EWR around 6:08 PM local time.

The aircraft squawked the emergency code 7700 and turned back safely, landing at EWR around 9 PM.

8 minutes ago, wil iam not said:

returned to Newark after 4 hours and 24 minutes in the air.

I wonder whether they arrested the passenger, and make him pay for the diversion. I would! And prevent him from EVER flying again, like they are suggesting about disruptive pax in UK.

They have equipment like headphones called Bomb , Bomb may be the name of the connection , could be that he didn't rename it Bomb, bomb was just its name

15 minutes ago, impulse said:

From the linked article.

Flight UA236, operated by 767-400ER registered N67052, departed EWR around 6:08 PM local time.

The aircraft squawked the emergency code 7700 and turned back safely, landing at EWR around 9 PM.

So the OP was incorrect saying 'returned to Newark AFTER 4 hours 24 minutes in the air' It was less than 4 hours ie 6.08pm until 9pm.

2 hours ago, wil iam not said:

It was a speaker, not a tracker, or so the OP says.

Any bluetooth device can have a user defined name. And I'm the OP.

Dupe

Edited June 2Jun 2 by gargamon

2 hours ago, wil iam not said:

So the OP was incorrect saying 'returned to Newark AFTER 4 hours 24 minutes in the air' It was less than 4 hours ie 6.08pm until 9pm.

That was a quote from the linked article.

9 minutes ago, gargamon said:

That was a quote from the linked article.

So which shall we believe?

5 hours ago, Hummin said:

Its a good reminder that the humanity is literally going to hell!

Scenic place but they won't fit in the church

5 hours ago, Hummin said:

There is no Hope

What!! Has Trump started his campaign in Canada

20 minutes ago, wil iam not said:

So which shall we believe?

Is it important to you? Irrelevant to the topic I believe.

5 minutes ago, gargamon said:

Is it important to you? Irrelevant to the topic I believe.

Not important, but when one says in the air for four hours then turning back, and another says differently, I like to know which is the truth.

11 minutes ago, wil iam not said:

Not important, but when one says in the air for four hours then turning back, and another says differently, I like to know which is the truth.

The OP doesn't say turned around after 4 hours. It says time in air. @impulse got it right.

The OP doesn't say turned around after 4 hours. It says time in air. @impulse got it right.

Mark that one on the calendar.

16 minutes ago, impulse said:

Mark that one on the calendar.

Almost a first. 😀