A flight had to make a U-turn when a 16-year-old’s Fitbit watch, named “Bomb” for Bluetooth connectivity, caused alarm among passengers. The United Airlines flight departed from Newark, New Jersey, en route to Mallorca, Spain, on a Saturday evening and returned later the same night.
Concerned about a potential security threat, the plane was diverted for inspection after the suspicious item was identified. Despite repeated instructions to turn off Bluetooth devices, two devices remained active.
Emergency services determined that the device labeled “Bomb” was actually a Fitbit belonging to a teen passenger on the flight. All 190 passengers and 12 crew members were evacuated for a security sweep by port authority police.
Subsequently, TSA and CBP officers re-screened all passengers before the flight resumed its journey to Mallorca. The teenager was not charged locally, but the FBI initiated an investigation into the incident.
United Airlines confirmed the incident, stating the flight returned to Newark to address security concerns before proceeding to Mallorca with a new crew. This incident followed another security scare on a United Airlines flight from Chicago to Minneapolis, which diverted to Wisconsin due to an unruly passenger attempting to breach the cockpit upon arrival.
Law enforcement and the FBI responded to the incident in Wisconsin, where the unruly passenger was finally subdued after multiple attempts to reach the cockpit. The passenger was eventually seated and flanked by law enforcement officers for the remainder of the flight.
