A Turkish AnadoluJet flight's take off was aborted after its passengers received photos of plane crashes on their phones.
The plane was preparing to take off when the passengers received the photos and alerted the crew. The captain then made the decision to head back to the terminal so that everyone could get out of the plane and the luggages and aircraft could be inspected.
The flight was eventually cleared to leave five hours later. The incident happened two weeks after a family from the US caused a security scare at the same airport by bringing out an unexploded artillery shell.
Flight Aborts Take Off as Passengers Receive Plane Crash Photos
The take-off of a Turkis AnadoluJet flight was aborted after passengers began receiving plane crash photos on their phones.
According to the BBC, the plane was already taxiing at the Ben Gurion Airport in Israel when the captain made the decision. The flight had 160 passengers onboard who informed the crew of the images they received. The crew then informed the captain.
All of the passengers and crew were asked to disembark from the plane. Luggages were likewise inspected once more.
Per the BBC, passengers were given the option to reboard the plane after it was inspected or to stay in Israel.
How were the Photos Sent to the Passengers?
The BBC reports that all the phones who received the disturbing images were iPhones and that the photos were received via AirDrop.
A report by UNILAD has added that the photos include the wreckage of the Turkish Airlines flight that crashed in Amsterdam in 2009. Nine people had died due to the crash. There is also a photo of the Aseana Airlines flight that killed three when it crashed in San Francisco in 2013.
Airports Authority spokesman Ofer Lefler ruled out the possibility of a cyberattack, according to UNILAD. In fact, the BBC reports that "Several young Israelis were identified as suspects and are being questioned."
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Second Security Scare in Two Weeks
The BBC report notes that this incident comes just two weeks after a family from the United States caused a bomb scare at the same airport after showing security personnel an unexploded artillery shell.
The family picked up the shell at Golan Heights, which is known as a "site of wars between Israel and Syria," per a separate report by the BBC. A member of the family showed it to a security personnel and asked if it could be placed in a suitcase.
"The official ordered her immediate vicinity to be cleared, but another passenger who misheard her started shouting 'terrorists shooting,' triggering mass panic," the BBC reports. Chaos ensued as passengers ran away, leading to one passenger needing hospital treatment.
The family was planning to take it home to the US as a souvenir.
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