A passenger on a United Airlines flight from New Jersey to New Orleans allegedly tried to storm the cockpit, claiming he had a bomb in his backpack, prompting the aircraft to transmit a hijacking distress signal. The plane landed safely, and the man was taken into custody.
Incident on Flight UA2174
United Airlines flight UA2174 departed Newark Liberty International Airport on Monday night, bound for Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. During the flight, the aircraft transmitted squawk code 7500, which signals unlawful interference such as a hijacking or cockpit intrusion.
Deputies from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office said a 34-year-old man allegedly told crew members he had a bomb in his backpack. The pilots declared a 'Level 4' threat via the messaging system used by aircraft and ground stations, the highest possible aviation threat level, indicating an attempted or actual breach of the cockpit.
Safe Landing and Arrest
The man was moved to the rear of the aircraft, where he was seated with crew members. The pilots continued to the scheduled destination, and the aircraft landed safely at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport at 11.16pm CST on Monday, having departed Newark at 9.27pm EST.
A spokesperson for United Airlines said: "United flight 2174 from Newark to New Orleans landed safely following a disruptive incident involving a passenger onboard. Law enforcement met the aircraft upon arrival." The flight carried 46 passengers and six crew members on a Boeing 737 MAX 9.
Custody and Related Incident
Deputies said the man is now being held in custody on suspicion of communicating false information about a planned act of arson and terrorising. All other passengers left the aircraft after it landed.
The incident follows a separate event in which a co-pilot on a FlyDubai flight to Israel stabbed a captain before passengers forced their way into the cockpit and wrestled with him. That plane, travelling from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv on September 30, descended quickly before making an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
