Hijack and bomb scare aboard United flight from Newark to New Orleans - Details

A United Airlines flight sent out a "Level 4" threat alert, used in hijack situations, via the ACARS messaging system on Monday evening (Nov 9). The most severe threat alert was sent out after a passenger aboard the flight from Newark Liberty International Airport to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport tried to storm into the cockpit.

The crew decided to send out squawk code 7500, used to indicate unlawful interference, which shows that any such attempt is not taken lightly. The aircraft made a safe landing in New Orleans. Weeks ago, another United aircraft was forced to divert after a passenger threatened to hijack the plane.

Flight tracking data shows that flight UA2174 departed Newark at 9:26 pm and landed in New Orleans at 11:07 pm. Data from FlightDeck on X shows that a male passenger tried to storm the cockpit of the Boeing 737 MAX 9 during the journey, prompting the pilots to squawk 7500 to alert air traffic control to the threat.

Also Read: Hijack scare unfolds on United flight over suspicious text message

A United spokesperson confirmed to Simple Flying that there were 46 passengers and six crew members on board the plane. "United flight 2174 from Newark to New Orleans landed safely following a disruptive incident involving a passenger on board. Law enforcement met the aircraft upon arrival," they said.

According to a social media post by Aaron Heins, who reportedly heard the ATC audio, the man was dressed in black and had a backpack and "spoke almost no English". He reportedly also made a bomb threat. Latest reporting shows that when the plane landed in New Orleans, the passenger was put in the back with the crew. Law enforcement officials were at the gate.

Another hijack scare for United last month

In October, another United flight faced a similar scare when a flight attendant spotted a suspicious message on a passenger's phone. The flight was going from Las Vegas to New York, and the pilots decided to take a U-turn. The crew member saw the person texting someone about hijacking the plane at a height of 24,000 feet. She immediately alerted the pilots, and the cockpit was locked down. The passenger wasn't told anything, and he was apprehended when the plane landed. Passengers said they saw three passengers in handcuffs, two of whom were released later.

The pilots squawked 7700 and were given priority landing. However, it could not safely land with 11,249 kg of fuel meant to take it to Newark. Dumping the fuel wasn't an option for the Boeing 737 MAX 8. So it returned to Vegas slowly and made an overweight landing.