(ConservativeHub.com) – Airlines face various challenges as the industry begins reopening in earnest in the wake of harsh coronavirus-based restrictions. Unruly passengers refusing to wear the required face masks have forced several aircraft to make emergency landings. In an unusual twist, a United Airlines flight scheduled to depart San Francisco on a routine trip to Orlando couldn’t even make it in the air before pilots and crew had to confront a potentially dangerous situation.
On Thursday, July 22, several passengers on United flight 2167 received a disturbing image of a realistic-looking toy gun as the aircraft was getting ready to depart the boarding gate. An unnamed teenager uploaded the photo of an Airsoft gun onboard the plane using Airdrop, a proprietary ad hoc service that allows iOS devices to share files using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
United Airlines evacuates plane ready for take off after multiple passengers receive ominous text message https://t.co/TtIhYohmaT #FoxNews
— cindy horswell (@chorswell) July 26, 2021
All the passengers on the aircraft were forced to deplane and taken through an additional security screening. The teenager alleged to have sent the image was identified and wasn’t allowed to reboard the flight.
An airport spokesperson confirmed the incident and said authorities determined the teenager took the photograph before the fight and did not have the toy pistol on his person. According to the spokesperson, the emergency evacuation was taken “out of an abundance of caution.”
A spokesperson for United Airlines told Fox News their team worked with law enforcement officials to review the situation and ensure the ongoing safety of the passengers and aircraft.
Copyright 2021, ConservativeHub.com
