Passenger Saw a ‘Threatening’ Text While Peeping at a Stranger’s Phone

On a recent American Airlines flight, a passenger reading texts over their seat neighbor’s shoulder created a somewhat dramatic situation that resulted in an early landing. After some further investigation, officials confirmed that the message was actually mourning the loss of a relative.

American Flight 1847 had been airborne for about 30 minutes when the unnamed passenger flagged what they believed was suspicious activity. The pilot radioed the control tower reporting a “threat from out back” that they were “not even sure it's even credible at this point”. However, they cited a “level three” concern, which is typically used for serious onboard situations. Out of caution, the aircraft returned to Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (SJU) in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Upon landing, security personnel and law enforcement met the flight. According to Puerto Rico’s Office of Explosives and Public Safety, it was quickly determined that the text in question was referring to a recently deceased relative. The passenger who received it was reportedly traveling home early from vacation.

American Airlines confirmed that the aircraft was inspected and cleared to resume its flight. It departed again shortly thereafter and landed safely in Dallas around 2 pm local time. No credible threat was found, and no injuries or property damage occurred.

Aerostar, the airport’s security contractor, described the incident as a mix-up handled properly under standard safety procedures. Aerostar operations director Nelman Nevarez confirmed that “there was no real threat to the flight or its passengers”.

“Safety and security are our top priorities and we apologize to our customers for the inconvenience,” an American spokesperson stated.

FMI: www.aa.com