Newly released security audio sheds more light on what happened when United Airlines Flight 2174 was forced to land after a reported bomb threat from a passenger.
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Audio From the United Airlines Flight Reveals a Tense Scene
As the New York Post reports, the United Airlines flight was headed from Newark, New Jersey, to New Orleans on the night of Monday, Nov. 9. When 34-year-old Rony Gomez-Alberto said he "had a bomb" in his backpack, pilots alerted emergency personnel.
The flight touched down without incident. The plane was parked in a remote spot at Louis Armstrong International Airport after it landed.
In the newly obtained audio, Gomez-Alberto was held at the back of the Boeing 737 MAX 9 as passengers left the aircraft.
"We have him at the back door," someone said. "The back door has been breached by him."
"We're going to approach and enter through the rear of the aircraft," someone added.
Another asked, "Do we have any units on scene with a cage?"
"There's a Hispanic male wearing a hat, probably something about 5'7?," another responder said.
Some advised, "Stay on the line with him and tell him to notify you immediately if he starts trying to move toward the front of the airplane."
Who Was On the Scene?
It is not known which agencies were speaking with each other on the recording.
"All right, be advised, pilots are going to stay in the cockpit with the door locked," someone said. "Flight attendants are going to come off, so we're going to bring them off and bring them over here as well. He doesn't speak English."
Another added, "Aircom 400 subject in custody."
No one was harmed during the incident on the United Airlines flight. The Department of Homeland Security stated that Gomez-Alberto had been deported twice before. It also said he entered the United States illegally through California. A judge then released him in 2020.
Members of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Department arrested the suspect. He is in jail without bond. Gomez-Alberto was charged with terrorizing, communicating false information about planned arson, and being a fugitive from justice.
