Pilot's 'Mom on Board' Announcement Misheard, Prompts Bomb Scare for Passengers

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.