A United Airlines flight from New Jersey to New Orleans sent out a hijacking distress call after a passenger allegedly claimed he had a bomb in his backpack and tried to storm the cockpit.
Flight UA2174 departed from Newark Liberty International Airport on Monday night. Late into the flight, the aircraft is understood to have transmitted squawk code 7500, which signals unlawful interference, such as a hijacking or cockpit intrusion.
Passenger moved to rear of aircraft
A 34-year-old man allegedly told crew members he had a bomb in his backpack on Monday night, deputies from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office said.
Aviation outlets also reported that the pilots declared a 'Level 4' threat via the messaging system used by aircraft and ground stations. This is the highest aviation threat level and indicates an attempted or actual breach of the cockpit.
The man was reportedly moved to the rear of the aircraft, where he was seated with crew members.
Flight lands safely in New Orleans
The pilots continued to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, the flight's scheduled destination, where the aircraft landed safely.
An airline spokesperson told the Mirror: "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."
There were 46 passengers and six crew members on board the Boeing 737 MAX 9, the airline confirmed. The flight safely touched down at New Orleans at 11.16pm CST on Monday, having departed Newark at 9.27pm EST.
Suspect held in custody
The man is being held in custody on suspicion of communicating false information about a planned act of arson and terrorising, deputies said. All other passengers were able to leave the aircraft after it landed.
The incident follows a separate case 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 the attacker. That flight, travelling from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, descended rapidly before making an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, on September 30.
