Flight Diverted After Bluetooth Speaker Name Causes Confusion

United flight 236, which was en route from Newark to Palma de Mallorca on Saturday night, had to turn back just an hour after takeoff due to security issues linked to a Bluetooth signal. Passengers on the flight took to Reddit to share their experiences, noting that the crew made repeated requests for everyone to disable their Bluetooth devices. One user mentioned that the crew issued a one-minute warning, indicating that two devices were still active.

Another Redditor recounted flight attendants expressing frustration, saying, “This little joke is ruining it for everyone.”

An archived Air Traffic Control recording reveals that the problem stemmed from the name of a discoverable Bluetooth speaker.

> “There’s a security detail out there. Someone had a Bluetooth speaker, and they named it a certain four-letter word. So they have to inspect the whole aircraft, including the cargo area, and the passengers have to evacuate.”

While the recording doesn’t explicitly state that the Bluetooth name was “bomb,” the crew’s and security personnel’s reactions suggest it was a plausible scenario. This incident serves as a reminder that what you might think is a clever WiFi or Bluetooth name could lead to serious misunderstandings.