Teen’s ‘bomb’ bluetooth prank forces Spain-bound flight to turn back

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A normal transatlantic flight was the subject of an unprecedented security scare when a Spanish-bound United plane returned to the USA after the name on a teenager’s smartwatch appeared on the list of nearby gadgets.

A United Airlines flight from Newark to Spain was forced to divert and head back to America after the crew realised a Bluetooth device known as a bomb had appeared on their system of neighbouring gadgets.

The concerning discovery saw cabin staff tell passengers to turn off Bluetooth on their mobile phones, but the suspicious name failed to disappear.

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The plane was diverted and returned to Newark so security officers could be sent to investigate. Passengers were questioned, electronic devices checked, and it was discovered the signal was being emitted from a teenage boy’s smart watch, who admitted to calling it a bomb as a joke. The crew decided not to risk it, though, and it made its way back to the USA.

Fortunately for all onboard, it was determined to be no threat; however, it did disrupt the flight significantly, and it shows how innocent digital jests could be taken very seriously on a plane.

The incident has since gone viral with a string of tweets and social media posts about how someone’s name for their smart watch was enough to divert an entire international flight, although many pointed out that airlines cannot take any chances.

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