“The Guy Next To Me Has A Bomb!” Hawaiian Airlines Passenger’s Lie Sparks Tarmac Chaos
A Hawaiian Airlines flight bound for Honolulu was delayed for several hours on Tuesday after a bomb threat was reported just moments before takeoff. The drama unfolded on the tarmac at San Diego International Airport and ended with one passenger in handcuffs and an entire planeload of travelers rebooked and reboarded after a tense several hours.
Bomb Threat Delays Hawaiian Airlines Flight in San Diego, Passenger Arrested
Hawaiian Flight 15, an Airbus A330-200 carrying 293 passengers and crew, was pushing back from the gate around 8:45 am when a passenger told a flight attendant that the person seated next to him had a bomb. The crew immediately notified the captain, who in turn contacted Port of San Diego Harbor Police. That triggered a rapid response from airport security, SWAT, and federal authorities including the FBI.
Rather than take off, the aircraft was diverted to a secure area of the tarmac, where all passengers and crew were safely deplaned and transported to a secure location. Authorities took no chances: baggage and cargo were removed and screened, and the plane itself was searched thoroughly. No bomb or suspicious device was found onboard.
Police later arrested a 35-year-old male passenger on charges of making a false bomb threat and filing a false report of a security threat. According to law enforcement, he told a flight attendant the person next to him had a bomb, but there was no evidence that the other passenger had done or said anything suspicious.
The suspect has been identified as John Stea, a member of the U.S. military. He is (well, was…) reportedly assigned to Maritime Expeditionary Security Group One, according to a US Navy spokesperson
Once the plane was cleared by authorities, passengers were allowed to reboard. The flight eventually took off around 2:15 pm, nearly six hours after its original departure time.
Despite the serious nature of the situation, airport operations were not disrupted, and flights continued on schedule elsewhere at San Diego International.
CONCLUSION
While airline crews are trained to treat all threats seriously, this incident underscores the high cost of false claims. One passenger’s reckless accusation tied up law enforcement resources, delayed hundreds of travelers, and could easily have sparked panic or worse in a more volatile environment. Authorities haven’t said what motivated the man’s actions, but I imagine his next stop won’t be Honolulu: it’ll be court.
What do you make of this incident? Do you know John Stea?