A flight bound for Los Angeles International Airport on Monday night was diverted to its departure point after a technical problem with the plane’s communications system led pilots to believe there was a security incident on board.
According to flight tracking website FlightAware, the American Airlines flight operated by SkyWest departed Eppley Airport in Omaha, Nebraska, at around 4:40 p.m., and returned to the airport. Only 20 minutes After quitting for an unknown reason.
Unconfirmed reports on social media claimed that the flight was diverted after several people tried to access the cockpit during the flight.
An FAA spokesperson confirmed to KTLA that the reason for the diversion was due to a problem with the plane’s internal telephone system. The plane’s pilot declared a state of emergency and turned around after he was unable to contact the flight crew and heard a knock on the cockpit door. FAA officials said the knock on the cockpit door was actually the flight crew trying to contact the pilots.
The Los Angeles-bound flight returned to the airport and was met by staff on the ground who confirmed there was no emergency, but rather a miscommunication caused by a technical issue.
KTLA contacted the Federal Aviation Administration, which handles media requests related to accidents on board commercial flights, but an email from the agency said that a lack of funding due to the federal government shutdown resulted in the FAA being unable to respond to regular media inquiries. A response was received about 40 minutes later.
Omaha Airport issued a statement on social media shortly after the plane returned to landing, directing any inquiries to American Airlines.
“There was no security-related incident at Epley Airport this evening,” the statement read.
American Airlines did not respond to a request for comment before this article was published.