AN American Airlines flight was forced to turn around mid-air after a passenger spotted a chilling message on another traveler’s phone.
The plane had only just taken off when the flyer raised the alarm with the cabin crew.
They claimed they had seen something disturbing on another passenger’s screen.
The flight was heading from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Dallas, Texas, when it suddenly turned back around mid-air.
The pilot was forced to ground the plane after a passenger saw “R.I.P,” which is short for “rest in peace” and misunderstood it as a potential threat.
Officials said the concerned passenger assumed the worst and reported it as a security risk.
American Airlines flight 1847 had departed from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Isla Verde on Thursday morning.
Roughly 30 minutes into the flight, the aircraft turned back and landed in San Juan as law enforcement began investigating.
“We have a threat onboard,” the pilot said in audio obtained by the Daily Mail.
“With text messaging between passengers and flight members, so we’re going to need authorities at the gate to meet us just to figure out what’s going on here.”
A spokesperson for American Airlines told The U.S. Sun, “On July 3, American Airlines flight 1847, with service from San Juan to Dallas Fort Worth, returned to SJU shortly after departure due to a possible security concern.”
“The flight landed safely at SJU, and law enforcement inspected and cleared the aircraft to re-depart,” the airline added.
“Safety and security are our top priorities and we apologize to our customers for the inconvenience.”
Aerostar’s deputy director of security, Félix Alvarado, led the investigation into the in-flight alarm.
Officials interviewed the passenger who received the message and confirmed they were grieving a recent family death.
According to Primera Hora, the traveler had received the text after cutting their vacation short to attend to the loss.
Authorities quickly determined there was no credible threat to the plane or the passengers.
“It was a mix-up that was handled in accordance with safety protocols,” Aerostar operations director Nelman Nevárez told Primera Hora.
Flight Details
Airline: American Airlines Flight Number: 1847 Route: San Juan (SJU) to Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) Passengers On Board: 193 Incident: Diverted back to San Juan due to perceived security concern Clearance: Aircraft was inspected and cleared for takeoff after authorities confirmed no threat Time of Second Departure: Around 10 am“There was no real threat to the flight or its passengers,” he added in the translated statement.
The US territory’s Office of Explosives and Public Safety later confirmed the situation was resolved without charges, the NY Post reported.
The aircraft, which had 193 passengers on board, was grounded during the inspection.
Once cleared, it resumed its route and prepared for takeoff again around 10 am.
Officials reminded the public that while it was a misunderstanding, reporting concerns is always encouraged when safety is in question.
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