An American Airlines passenger snooping on one of their seat neighbors forced the flight to return to San Juan after reporting a potential security concern based on an overseen text message.
Local news outlet Primera Hora reported that one passenger saw another receive a text message saying RIP (rest in peace) and interpreted it as a threat to the flight, according to Puerto Rico’s Office of Explosives and Public Safety.
American Airlines flight 1847 was on its scheduled service between San Juan and Dallas, and returned to Puerto Rico shortly after takeoff.
The airline confirmed the incident in a statement to USA TODAY and said the plane was eventually cleared to depart again after the threat was deemed non-credible.
“The flight landed safely at SJU, and law enforcement inspected and cleared the aircraft to re-depart,” the statement said. “Safety and security are our top priorities and we apologize to our customers for the inconvenience.”
In general, it’s a good idea for travelers to speak out if they have security concerns.
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.