A flight bound for LA was forced to turn around after its pilot mistakenly believed that passengers were trying to break into the cockpit.
The jet took off from Omaha, Nebraska, at 4.40 pm on Monday but turned back just 20 minutes later, according to FlightAware.
American Airlines Flight 6469 had suffered from a breakdown on its intercom system, leaving the plane’s pilots only able to hear static over the communications device, an American Airlines spokesperson told ABC News.
Meanwhile, the pilots could hear hammering on the door, which led them to believe that passengers were trying to gain access to the cockpit.
This rumor was repeated across social media, reports KTLA.
In the interest of passenger safety, the pilots brought the Embraer ETJ 175 plane back to Omaha’s Eppley Airfield.
Upon landing, the jet’s captain apologized for the unexpected landing.
"We weren't sure if something was going on with the airplane, so that's why we're coming back here," the captain said. "It's gonna be a little bit.
“We have to figure out what's going on."
Passenger videos showed emergency services heading for the plane after it landed back on the tarmac.
Officers later boarded the plane but concluded that the banging on the door had actually been the flight crew.
Shortly after the incident, Omaha Airport released a brief statement updating passengers about the investigation.
“There was no security-related incident at Eppley Airfield this evening,” the statement reads.
Just a day earlier, another plane heading to Los Angeles was forced to land after a smoky odor was detected in the cabin.
Delta Flight 898 was diverted to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where it landed with two pilots, five crew members, and 219 passengers.
Although authorities have not shared details about the origin of the smell, a spokesperson for Delta Airlines stated to CBS News Atlanta.
"The safety of our customers and people is of utmost importance. That's why our flight crew followed standard procedures to return to Atlanta after a smoky odor was detected in the cabin," the Delta spokesperson said. "We apologize to our customers for the delay in their travels."
And, just a week earlier, a plane heading for LAX was diverted due to its windshield cracking in the air.
The United Airlines flight was just 50 minutes into a flight to Denver before pilots decided to land in Salt Lake City.
The jet landed safely, with the passengers safely deplaning and boarding a second plane to Los Angeles. They were delayed by around six hours.
The Independent has approached Delta Airlines, American Airlines, and United Airlines for comment.
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