Pilot‘s ’Mom on Board’ Announcement Misheard, Prompts Bomb Scare for Passengers
- Posted on February 25, 2012 at 3:23pm by
Madeleine Morgenstern
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The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating after an airline pilot’s mid-flight announcement of a “mom on board” was misheard by passengers as a “bomb on board,” New York’s WCBS-TV reported.
The pilot of Southwest Airlines Flight 1155 meant to tell the 100 passengers aboard his Long Island-bound flight Friday that an air traffic controller’s mother was on the plane, Southwest spokeswoman Whitney Eichinger told Newsday.
“Just making a fun announcement — just letting everyone know she was on board,” Eichinger said.
The problem happened when some passengers mistook the word “mom” for “bomb.”
“There was some confusion on board,” Eichinger acknowledged, adding that flight attendants tried to explain that nothing was wrong.
When the plane landed a half-hour later, two passengers reportedly complained to airport security.
Eichinger said it was unclear what prompted the pilot’s announcement, though an FAA official told Newsday it was at the request of an air traffic controller working on the ground who wanted to wish her mother a happy birthday.
Making such a personal request is not grounds for firing, though the controller may be retrained on appropriate conduct, the official said.
According to Newsday, investigators plan to listen to flight recordings to figure out precisely what was said in the announcement.
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Comments (60)
Penn
Posted on February 26, 2012 at 9:44amI use to fly years ago, but flying became such a hassle, I don’t fly anymore. I use to take the train but bomb sniffing dogs, long lines and even longer trips took so much time, I don’t take the train anymore. I use to drive but the price of gas, car insurance and tolls have gone up so much. I don’t drive anymore. I use to like to walk to work and church, but since the Occupy people barricade both, I don’t walk anymore. Does anyone else see a pattern here. The more government “protects” us the more they enslave us. The Road to Fascism is paved with government interventions.
Report Post »RackBlaster
Posted on February 26, 2012 at 9:18amFire the Pilot, the Air Traffic Controller and the Flight Attendants. $500,000 to each passenger for the pain and suffering, oh and please have President O. apologize to the airline industry. Did I miss anything?
Report Post »jb.kibs
Posted on February 26, 2012 at 1:21pmfire the pilot? LOL… o man…
sigh…
Here’s them…
“Boo!”
here’s you…
Report Post »*curl up in ball and beg for big brother to help you.
manuelbetten
Posted on February 26, 2012 at 2:23pmOne will chase you and 5000 will run
Report Post »marcf
Posted on February 27, 2012 at 6:48pmObama only apologizes to our enemies and only when they do something like kill our soldiers.
This truly is a man who understands what happened on 9/11 and knows who our enemy is….uh, right?
Report Post »ptown23704
Posted on February 26, 2012 at 7:54amI say it before everyone else does. Its Obama’s fault. I said it and i hope you are happy.
Report Post »poorrichard09
Posted on February 26, 2012 at 8:18amMaybe they thought he said “Imam on board”. just as scary!
Report Post »the_truth_or_not
Posted on February 26, 2012 at 3:46amAnother example of the indoctrination of paranoia. Fear is the weapon of the Commies!
Report Post »jb.kibs
Posted on February 26, 2012 at 1:21pmBoo!
Report Post »TexasKnight
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 10:31pmThey are going to retrain the ATC worker? What the heck, they have to be kidding me. This kind of thing happens all the time. A controller being friendly with a pilot, I guess we need to hang her. The only story here is the complete overreaction of two (out of 100) passengers, and then an even more ludicrous response by FAA management.
Report Post »TomFerrari
Posted on February 26, 2012 at 7:43amFirst of all, as a commercial pilot, let me say that non-essential communication should not be conducted over ATC frequencies. So the ATC has an issue there.
Second, the pilot should have been a bit more clear if he were going to say something like, “Ladies and gentlemen, ATC has informed us we have a Mom on board.” That would just be STUPIDITY and would display a lack of sound judgement on the pilot’s part. I‘m not saying he shouldn’t have wished her a happy birthday over the intercom. But, he could have said, “From your flight crew, and ATC, we would like to wish a happy birthday to ______”.
If you were to look at a a really nice laptop and declare, “that’s the bomb,” you better believe you would be detained, questioned, etc. We pilots should be at least as cautious with out words as well.
Sounds to me like plenty of poor judgement to go around on this one. Completely avoidable.
Oh, and the passengers? I doubt they were worried the whole flight. I’m sure someone expressed their concern to the flight crew and it was likely clarified immediately, so the complaining passengers were also over-reacting, imho.
Report Post »satman40
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 9:32pmClean your ears out…
Bet if he said free booze everyone would grab a beer…not a boob
Report Post »TXPilot
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 10:25pmDid “Mom” receive a cavity search afterwards?
Report Post »SFsuper49er
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 8:27pmCan you imagine being on edge the whole time your on one of those things. Not for me…
Report Post »eramthgin
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 8:21pmObviously pilots have never sat in the plane to listen to the pa system. That is one part of the aircraft that hasnt been improved in 50 years.
Report Post »TexasKnight
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 10:25pmActually, they sit in the back often where they can hear their fellow pilots.
Report Post »Almost every flight has at least one deadheading or commuting pilot.
omgfolks
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 7:22pmIt just goes to show you how our goverment and media ha instilled so much fear in the hearts of the everyday citizen. I am betting the couple that complained were looking for their 10 minutes of fame and a few bucks or a free ticket.
Report Post »Unc68
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 7:59pmYou are probably correct. The pilot should have used the word mother, but it reminds me of Airplane 2 when the passenger was tackled after yelling “Hi, Jack” to his friend in the terminal.
Report Post »DoomsdayProphet
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 8:03pmDon’t say words that rhyme with bomb on planes. Politically correct lesson for the day.
Report Post »oldchevyguy
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 6:54pmMust have been a New Yorker vacationing!
Report Post »Midwest Blonde
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 6:35pmhad the pilot said “Mother”….. no one would have panicked. He just didn’t think……….
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 6:56pmFlying is a Serious business… and these are Serious Times!
Report Post »MBA
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 5:51pmM o m now a censored word.
Report Post »BarackStalin
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 6:11pmBut if you or I say the same thing and it is misunderstood, we will be ARRESTED and JAILED.
We get no benefit of doubt because MOST AMERICANS ARE TERRORISTS according to the KGB…er I mean the TSA.
Report Post »000degrees
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 6:59pmMake moms illegal, then only criminals will have moms…..
Report Post »Blunt-Man
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 5:29pm“***** in the armor”
Report Post »Laycodex
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 4:41pmThe Terrorists have won. They have so disruppted our lives from one attack 10 years ago that we can not even do a favor for another human without it turning into a full blown investigation. I feel we have lost.
Report Post »EchoHawk
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 9:21pmMy only question about that statement is, how much of the neoconservative/conservative movement will take responsibility for the economic destruction of America, that was the expressed intent of Al Qaeda before 9/11 How about some conservatives man up and swallow that pill.
Report Post »Thighmaster
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 4:29pmAlways travel with a ham sandwich and let it be known to all. No muslim wants to be bagged with a ham n cheese…
Report Post »Rodster
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 6:21pmLets not give the throwbacks any more ideas. I can picture the next bomb in a can of Hormel Spam. :)
Report Post »The Sergeant Major
Posted on February 27, 2012 at 2:10pmWhats wrong with a good spam samach?
Report Post »grannyjojo
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 4:10pmOh come on. I’m so tired of this PC crap. The guy did a favor for a co-worker and there was nothing wrong with it. Leave him alone! And BTW, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to “the MOM”. “Every knee will bow and every tongue confess”
Report Post »chitstirrer
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 4:10pmTypical over-reaction from my insecure litigious neighbors here on Liberal Island.
Report Post »Captain Crunch
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 4:01pmHIs next announcement was ” Oh crap, I sure bombed that one”.
Report Post »flatdaddio
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 3:58pmgovernment feeding the fears of the liberal base…
Report Post »Stevsea
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 3:55pmSimilar to seeing your friend Jack on the plane….Hi-Jack!
Report Post »CatB
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 4:07pmOh God.. never say that NEAR an airport .. you will get an unwanted rec tal exam.
Report Post »satman40
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 9:34pmAnd when jack leaves the plane we all yell ********.
Report Post »OlefromMN
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 3:53pmMy my my, how itchy we have become. SW is known for keeping their flights lighthearted. I remember a flight in which the pilot came on the loudspeaker while we were taxiing to the gate and told us if we unbuckled prior to the aircraft coming to a complete stop our luggage would be released on to the runway. He claimed each of our checked bags were attached to our individual seat belts. I should have sued for him lying to me.
Ease up people and enjoy the flight. SW does a great job. ( I guess this story shows how little people actually pay attention to what the pilot is saying)
Report Post »db321
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 4:08pmOlefromMN – I hope you didn’t believe the Pilot – if so you got issues – why would you even thank about suing!
SW is cool – before 9/11 we had one hell of a pillow fight on flight to Cancun – you can toss one of those little pillows the whole length of the plane – you can even curve them around the flight attendant standing in the hallway and still hit your target.
Report Post »Justthefactsmam
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 4:23pm@OLEFROMMN I guess DB didn’t have the sarcasm font enabled…lol
Report Post »OlefromMN
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 4:36pm@JTFM,
I should know that sarcasm doesn’t type well.
DB321, I was just joking about the suing part.
Report Post »db321
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 5:02pmOps – Other than the sarcasm part – it was a good story – SW was my personal Corporate Jet for years – $100 in my pocket and I could be just about anywhere in America, at the drop of the hat for a meeting, and back home that night for supper.
Oh the good old days – before the GOVERNMENT AND ATTORNEYS started destroying my BUSINESS!!!!!! I’ll be OK! – Taking a pill now!
Everyday, I would ask my Secretary after she checked the mail – if anyone was suing us today!
Report Post »OlefromMN
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 5:17pm@DB321
It’s all good! SW is a good airline and appears to be under attack by this administration. Have you noticed how eager the media is to point out SW complaints? I can’t remember, is SW a non-union airline? It would answer alot of questions if it was non-union.
The administration is targeting every business that goes against the communist code.
Report Post »db321
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 6:18pmSW is 86% Unionized and home based in Texas – it may be the Texas thing that has this Administrations pantie’s in a wad or they want it 100% union.
I think SW will be OK – Texas has a AG that loves to sued this Administration – the pilot will be famous around to industry. I’m sure going to put him on my Mothers Day list!
Ops – I said Sued!
Report Post »Deceived and Disgusted
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 3:40pmNo under-estimating the stupidity of some people, “two passengers reportedly complained to airport security”
Report Post »And NEVER under-estimate the PC of any government agency “the controller may be retrained on appropriate conduct”
Here’s a synopsis of the re-training:
You know and I know it’s BS but we have to spend an hour here…
db321
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 5:13pmAmodinajah says he is about to complete a Nucular Bomb and is going to use it to wipe Israel of the face of the earth – crickets. Moms on board – all hell breaks loose!
Am I missing something – did I not get the memo.
Report Post »tckid17
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 3:36pmThis is “the mother of all Mom on Board announcements”.
Report Post »Razorhunters
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 3:31pmfear…it is a heII of a drug.
Report Post »thetreyman
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 4:02pmi thought it was cocaine
Report Post »gothope
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 3:28pmWhat would scare you more?
Report Post »mom on board or obama on board
OlefromMN
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 3:54pmIf I heard “Obama on board” I would grab the nearest parachute and bail. You know there is going to be a crash with anything he is involved with.
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