A commercial jet experienced a tense but ultimately harmless scare when its pilots mistakenly believed someone was attempting to break into the cockpit. American Airlines Flight 6469, which had departed from Omaha en route to Los Angeles, made an unexpected return to its origin airport less than 40 minutes into its journey following the misunderstanding.
An American Airlines spokesperson clarified that the incident stemmed from an intercom system—designed for communication between pilots and flight attendants—being inadvertently left on. The pilots, upon hearing static through this open channel, misconstrued the noise as an indication of an attempted forced entry into the cockpit.
The affected flight was operated by SkyWest, a regional carrier that provides services for American Airlines and other major airlines. The aircraft involved was an Embraer ERJ 175, according to details available from the flight tracking website, FlightAware.
Authorities at the Omaha Airport confirmed that no actual security incident occurred at the airport, directing all further inquiries regarding the event to American Airlines.