“Bomb” Bluetooth Device Name Forces United Flight to Mallorca to Turn Around Midair

A United Airlines flight bound for Spain from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) was forced to turn around mid-flight on Saturday night after a passenger named their Bluetooth device “bomb.”

The flight, a 6:00 p.m. departure from Newark to Palma de Mallorca, was carrying 190 passengers and 12 crew members.

According to air traffic control audio and passengers posting real-time updates on social media, flight attendants began making announcements early in the flight directing passengers to turn off all Bluetooth-enabled devices, including tablets, phones, and laptops.

While the majority of passengers complied, two devices remained active—one of which was the device in question. According to social media reports, passengers eventually discovered the reason behind the crew’s urgent requests, not from an official announcement, but because they spotted the network name on their own screens. The device turned out to be a smartwatch owned by a 16-year-old passenger.

Following several unsuccessful requests for the owner to step forward, and flight attendants giving passengers a one-minute warning, the flight turned back and landed at Newark approximately three and a half hours after departure.

United Airlines confirmed the diversion but declined to give a reason why, stating: “United flight 236 from Newark to Palma De Mallorca, Spain safely returned to Newark to address a potential security concern. The flight continued to Palma De Mallorca with a new crew.”

Upon arrival, passengers were evacuated and rescreened by the TSA, while Port Authority police conducted a full sweep of the aircraft. Once the aircraft was cleared, passengers were accommodated on a replacement flight with a new crew, which departed the following morning. No arrests were made.