A Spain-bound United Airlines flight out of Newark turned around mid-flight on Saturday because a teenager named his Fitbit “bomb” and it popped up on available Bluetooth devices, officials and sources said.
The plane took off from Newark Liberty International Airport at about 6 p.m., but landed back at Newark by roughly 9:30 p.m after security was flagged to inspect a suspicious Bluetooth device onboard that showed up as “bomb,” sources told The Post.
The flight was turned around and landed back in Newark late Saturday after passengers were directed to turn off their devices and the alarming name remained online.
A Spain-bound United Airlines flight out of Newark turned around mid-flight on Saturday. Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY Post
It was later determined that the device was a name for a Fitbit owned by a 16-year-old on board.
About four hours into an eight-hour flight, security was flagged to inspect a suspicious Bluetooth device with a “certain four-letter word,” according to The Guardian. Flightradar24
Passengers had to evacuate as Port Authority police swept the aircraft. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers re-screened passengers before boarding again.
“United flight 236 from Newark to Palma De Mallorca, Spain safely returned to Newark to address a potential security concern,” a United spokesperson said on Sunday. “The flight continued on to Palma De Mallorca with a new crew.”
The airline directed further inquiries to local authorities.
The unidentified teen has not been hit with any local charges, but the FBI is now investigating the situation, sources said.