Snooping Passenger Misinterprets Text as Threat

An American Airlines passenger who wasn't exactly minding their own business forced an unexpected return to Puerto Rico on Friday morning. The flight from San Juan to Dallas was forced to turn around shortly after takeoff after a passenger told a flight attendant there was a possible security threat based on a text message they saw while looking at the phone of the person seated next to them: It simply read "RIP," for rest in peace.

American told USA Today in a statement that the threat was determined to be non-credible and the plane was subsequently cleared to depart. "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." Local news outlet Primera Hora said the passenger on the receiving end of the text had experienced the death of a relative the day before, which was why he was undertaking the trip; the text was reportedly an expression of condolence.