Bomb Scare On Southwest Flight To MacArthur Airport After Passengers Mishear Word
RONKONKOMA, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Some confusion over an announcement led to a minor scare Friday for passengers on a Southwest Airlines flight traveling from Baltimore to MacArthur Airport.
The airline says the pilot was making a "fun announcement" that the mother of an air traffic controller was on the plane, but Southwest Airlines spokeswoman Brandi King told WCBS 880 that some of the passengers mistook the phrase "mom on board" for "bomb on board."
Flight attendants tried to explain that nothing was wrong and King said the pilot explained what he was announcing.
"He did clarify with the passengers that he was wishing the mother on board a happy birthday," King said.
But after the plane landed in Long Island, two passengers were disgruntled enough to complain to security officials. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.
While making a personal announcement isn't a firing offense, officials say the controller may need to be retrained on what's appropriate and what's not.
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