Airline Passenger Triggers Emergency Landing After Spotting Alarming Message On Another Traveler's Phone

A passenger onboard a flight caused a major scare that led to an emergency landing and more than three hours of delays after spotting a message on someone else's phone that they thought looked threatening.

It happened aboard an American Airlines flight, where someone misread an innocent text message and reported it to the crew, leading to emergency procedures being launched.

The plane had taken off from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and was on its way to Dallas, Texas, when the unexpected diversion occurred. Just 32 minutes after takeoff, the flight was grounded due to concerns raised over what the passenger believed to be a suspicious message.

The passenger, clearly alarmed by what they saw, quickly told a flight attendant about the message, which kicked off the emergency response.

According to The Mirror, the individual claimed they saw the letters "RIP" short for “rest in peace” on someone’s phone and believed it hinted at something dangerous about to happen on the flight.

The crew passed the concern on to the cockpit, where the pilot made the call to land the plane at the nearest safe airport.

The jet was forced to land just 30 minutes after taking off Getty Images

Once the plane touched down in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico, local officials stepped in. They checked the passenger’s phone and reviewed the messages, according to reports by USA Today, and also interviewed the traveler in question.

It turns out the message had been sent by a family member offering condolences. The person had just lost their father a few days earlier.

He was flying to Dallas to be with relatives during a difficult time and to help plan the funeral.

As part of the safety protocol, airport security along with TSA agents also inspected the entire aircraft and conducted additional questioning of the passenger who raised the concern.

After hearing the full story and confirming the background behind the message, authorities cleared the situation. The flight was then allowed to continue on to Dallas, eventually arriving on Friday, July 4.

The Office of Explosive and Public Safety in Puerto Rico later confirmed there had been no actual threat and that everything stemmed from a misunderstanding.

The passenger had spotted the concerning text from someone else's phone Getty Images

The unexpected incident caused the flight to be delayed by about three and a half hours, according to The Independent. During the investigation, all passengers had to stay on the plane until authorities gave the green light.

No one was taken into custody, and the entire situation was ultimately chalked up to confusion. Aerostar Airport Holdings, which runs the San Juan airport, described it as a simple mistake.

"It was a mix-up that was handled in accordance with safety protocols. There was no real threat to the flight or its passengers." stated Nelman Nevarez, the operations director at Aerostar Airport Holdings.

American Airlines also issued a statement saying: "The flight landed safely at SJU, and law enforcement inspected and cleared the aircraft to re-depart."

"Safety and security are our top priorities and we apologize to our customers for the inconvenience."