Bomb threat? RIP text triggers panic, forces American Airlines plane to turn around
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Bomb threat? RIP text triggers panic, forces American Airlines plane to turn around
The strange incident on an American Airlines plane led to the flight being delayed by over three and a half hours. How the passenger interpreted RIP to mean a bomb threat is not clear.
An American Airlines plane returned to its origin airport after a person snooping in on a fellow passenger's phone was alarmed by a text message that read RIP. The person who had received the message was flying to Dallas following a relative's passing away. The message was sent in response to the death of the person, as RIP is an acronym for Rest In Peace. However, the person next to this passenger read it and alerted the crew about it. They interpreted the message to mean a bomb threat, Puerto Rico's Office of Explosives and Public Safety noted. Local news outlet Primera Hora reported that the incident happened on July 3 on a flight going from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Dallas, Texas. Also Read: The REAL reason why planes don't fly over Antarctica...and no, it is not political
Airport security questioned the passengers
The passenger's concern about the message led to the flight returning to the origin airport after being in the air for 32 minutes. As soon as the aeroplane landed, airport security and the Transportation Security Administration reached the tarmac and carried out a thorough inspection. The passenger who raised the alarm was also questioned by the officials about the message. The person who received the RIP message was also asked about the reason. The man said that a relative had passed away in Dallas and he was going there to help them with the arrangements. Also Read: Amelia Earhart vanished in 1937. A strange occurrence hints she was on THIS island
The incident led to the plane being delayed by around three-and-a-half hours. Passengers were forced to remain on board the plane for the entire time of the investigation. No arrests were made in the strange saga. "It was a mix-up that was handled in accordance with safety protocols. There was no real threat to the flight or its passengers," Aerostar Airport Holdings' operations director, Nelman Nevarez, said in a statement. The group manages the airport in San Juan. "Safety and security are our top priorities and we apologise to our customers for the inconvenience."
