United Airlines diverted a flight from Chicago to New York to Pittsburgh on Saturday, April 18, due to a security concern that prompted an emergency response.
The crew diverted the aircraft midair while it was traveling from O’Hare International Airport to LaGuardia Airport. The plane then landed at Pittsburgh International Airport. United said it carried out the diversion as a precaution to address a potential threat.
The Boeing 737 was carrying 159 passengers and six crew members at the time of the incident. A United spokesperson confirmed that Flight 2092 was diverted “to address a potential security concern.” The spokesperson added, “Passengers evacuated safely via slides.”
Security Concern
Crew members identified an unusual situation that raised safety concerns. An audio recording from the cockpit revealed that an unexplained, steady, sequential beeping sound prompted the crew to divert to Pittsburgh.
In the audio, the crew can be heard saying, “We’ve got an issue up here.” The audio continued, “We are going to have to start treating this as a potential bomb.”
As a precaution, the crew coordinated with ground authorities. Upon arriving in Pittsburgh, the crew deployed emergency slides for evacuation. Airlines reserve emergency slides for situations requiring rapid evacuation.
The Allegheny County Police Department confirmed that it dispatched its bomb squad. Authorities conducted a thorough sweep of the aircraft, passengers, and luggage. After the search, officials confirmed that no explosive device or threat was present.
The department said in a statement, “Our EOD [Explosive Ordnance Disposal] team and K9s conducted a sweep of the aircraft, passengers and luggage with negative results.”
Despite the security concern, the airport remained open and operational throughout the response. United then rebooked passengers affected by the diversion on another aircraft to continue to their destination.
The Allegheny County Airport Authority said that “emergency crews responded quickly to the reported incident.” It added, “Safety and security is always the top priority at Pittsburgh International Airport.”
