A passenger on an airline led to an emergency landing and a delay lasting over three hours after misinterpreting a message on another passenger’s phone as threatening.
An American Airlines flight had to conduct an emergency landing following a misunderstanding by a vigilant passenger, who misjudged a harmless text message received by another traveler as a potential threat.
The aircraft, which took off from San Juan, Puerto Rico, heading for Dallas, Texas, on Thursday, July 3, had to land only 32 minutes after its departure. This occurred because a passenger perceived a message on someone else’s phone as suspicious.
The concerned traveler reported the perceived threat to the flight’s crew, initiating emergency protocols.
The Mirror reported that the passenger informed the staff about reading a concerning acronym, “RIP,” on another person’s phone, interpreting it as a potential danger to the plane.
The crew then informed the pilot on flight AA 1847, who was advised to make an emergency landing at the earliest opportunity.
Upon landing in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico, local authorities conducted an investigation of the passenger’s phone and messages, according to USA Today, and interviewed the individual involved.
It was revealed that the passenger had received an “RIP” message from a family member because his father had recently passed away.
He was traveling to Dallas to join his family in mourning and assist with the funeral arrangements.
The airplane was thoroughly inspected by airport security and the Transport Security Administration, and additional questioning was directed at the passenger who had raised the alarm.
Once local authorities verified the situation, confirming the passenger’s story was credible, the plane was cleared to continue its flight to Dallas, where it arrived on Friday, July 4.
The US territory’s Office of Explosive and Public Safety verified that the text exchange posed no real threat.
The incident resulted in a delay of approximately three-and-a-half hours, as reported by The Independent, with passengers remaining on the plane during the investigation.
No arrests were made, as Aerostar Airport Holdings, the management of San Juan’s airport, concluded it was merely a misunderstanding.
“It was a mix-up that was handled in accordance with safety protocols. There was no real threat to the flight or its passengers,” stated Nelman Nevarez, operations director for Aerostar Airport Holdings, in a statement.
In a statement, American Airlines also commented: “The flight landed safely at SJU, and law enforcement inspected and cleared the aircraft to re-depart.
“Safety and security are our top priorities and we apologize to our customers for the inconvenience.”