... what sort of Bluetooth shenanigans get a plane turned around??

https://www.reddit.com/r/unitedairlines/s/m0BVNYA8Ru

Looks like this was UA236 and it did turn around with a 7700 emergency and was greeted with a LOT of emergency vehicles on the ground, there's pictures in the reddit thread.

Reports there suggest someone had a Bluetooth device named "bomb" or "boom." And it was still showing up when they asked people to turn off Bluetooth devices.

There has to be more to it than that. Like someone claiming they were going to blow they plane up after the MX delay. Because just seeing a Bluetooth device named "bomb" and turning a flight around is Wile E Coyot level dumb and overreaction.

United flight turned around over Atlantic as a boy named his Bluetooth device “bomb”

If this were a real threat they'd have landed at BOS or someplace a whole lot closer vs. trekking all the way back to EWR. And FWIW, check out this Bluetooth speaker -- the product is called "Bomb" ... If you go to the linked manual you'll see that its default Bluetooth pairing name is also, "Bomb" ... I'm nt saying that that's what was on the plane, but it easily could have been.

Has a bomb threat ever resulted in discovery of an actual bomb?

I don't know of any, but airline flights have been bombed. I'm not sure that you can safely conclude that when there is a threat there will be no bomb.

10 Oct 1933 United Air Lines Flight 23 Boeing 247 destroyed by a bomb; first proven act of air sabotage.
9 Sep 1949 Canadian Pacific Air Lines Flight 108 Dynamite bomb sent as cargo; plane crashed.
13 Apr 1950 BEA Vigilant* Bomb detonated in bathroom over English Channel; plane returned safely.
24 Sep 1952 Mexicana de Aviaci�n Flight 575 Bag exploded mid‑flight; 5 injured, plane landed safely.
1 Nov 1955 United Air Lines Flight 629 Bomb in suitcase exploded; plane crashed.
25 Jul 1957 Western Air Lines N8406H Dynamite charge exploded in lavatory; passenger killed, plane landed safely.
19 Dec 1957 SAGETA F-BAVH Bomb exploded in lavatory; plane landed safely.
16 Nov 1959 National Airlines Flight 967 Plane disappeared over Gulf of Mexico; suspected bomb, no wreckage found.
8 Sep 1959 Mexicana de Aviaci�n Flight 621 Passenger detonated bomb at 11,000 ft; passenger killed, plane landed safely.
6 Jan 1960 National Airlines Flight 2511 Bomb-equipped plane exploded and crashed.
28 Apr 1960 LAV YV-C-AFE Bomb in cockpit; plane crashed.
10 May 1961 Air France Flight 406 Explosion caused crash over Algeria.
22 May 1962 Continental Airlines Flight 11 Bomb in passenger�s suitcase; plane exploded over Iowa.
8 Dec 1964 Aerolineas Abaroa CP-639 Dynamite planted by insured passenger; plane crashed.
8 Jul 1965 Canadian Pacific Air Lines Flight 21 Bomb caused crash; unsolved.
22 Nov 1966 Aden Airways crash at Wadi Rabtah Bomb placed to kill a leader; plane crashed.
29 May 1967 Aerocondor HK-757 Time bomb exploded at 6,000 ft; plane landed safely.
12 Oct 1967 Cyprus Airways Flight 284 Plane broke up; traces of plastic explosive found, likely bomb.
12 Nov 1967 American Airlines Boeing 727 Homemade explosive went off in baggage compartment; plane landed safely.
19 Nov 1968 Continental N17325 Explosion in lavatory; plane landed safely.
5 Aug 1969 PAL Hawker Siddeley HS-748 Passenger set off explosive in lavatory; plane landed safely.
21 Feb 1970 Swissair Flight 330 Bomb in cargo; plane crashed.
24 Apr 1970 Philippine Airlines Flight 215 Bomb in lavatory exploded; plane broke up.
10 Oct 1971 Aeroflot Flight 773 Bomb on floor near seat; plane crashed.
26 Jan 1972 JAT Flight 367 Bomb in forward cargo; plane exploded mid‑air except for one survivor.
25 May 1972 LAN Chile CC-CAG Pipe bomb in service compartment; plane landed safely.
15 Jun 1972 Cathay Pacific Flight 700Z Bomb in cosmetics case; plane exploded mid‑air.
16 Aug 1972 El Al 4X-ATT Explosive in portable record player; minor damage, plane returned.
19 Mar 1973 Air Vietnam XV-NUI Explosion in cargo hold; plane crashed.
24 Apr 1973 Aeroflot hijacking (Tu‑104) Bomb detonated on ground during hijacking attempt. 18 May 1973 Aeroflot Flight 109 Hijacker�s bomb detonated; plane crashed.
26 Aug 1974 TWA Boeing 707 Explosive in baggage compartment malfunctioned; fire after landing.
8 Sep 1974 TWA Flight 841 Bomb in cargo hold caused crash.
3 Jun 1975 Philippine Air Lines RP‑C1184 Bomb in lavatory; plane landed safely.
1 Jan 1976 Middle East Airlines Flight 438 Bomb in forward cargo; plane broke up.
6 Oct 1976 Cubana de Aviaci�n Flight 455 Two bombs after takeoff; plane crashed.
17 Aug 1978 Philippine Air Lines RP‑C1184 Explosion in lavatory; damage repaired.
7 Sep 1978 Air Ceylon Avro 748 4R-ACJ Bomb exploded and started fire while parked.
19 Feb 1979 Ethiopian Airlines ET-AFW In‑flight explosion; plane crashed.
12 Dec 1981 Aeronica YN-BXW (Mexico City) Bomb detonated on ground before boarding.
11 Aug 1982 Pan Am Flight 830 Bomb under seat cushion; plane landed safely, 1 killed.
23 Sep 1983 Gulf Air Flight 771 Bomb in baggage; plane crashed.
18 Jan 1984 Air France Flight 171 Explosion in cargo hold; plane returned safely.
23 Jan 1985 Lloyd Aereo Boliviano CP-1276 Passenger detonated dynamite in lavatory; plane landed safely.
23 Jun 1985 Air India Flight 182 (and Narita bombing) Bomb in cargo hold; plane broke up, 329 dead (deadliest).
2 Apr 1986 TWA Flight 840 Explosion in passenger compartment; 4 dead, 7 injured, plane landed.
17 Apr 1986 El Al Flight 016 Semtex bomb and detonator found in luggage before departure.
3 May 1986 Air Lanka Flight 512 Bomb exploded on ground just before takeoff.
25 Dec 1986 Iraqi Airways Flight 163 Hijacking + grenades; plane crashed.
29 Nov 1987 Korean Air Flight 858 Bomb with liquid explosives; plane exploded.
21 Dec 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 (Lockerbie) Bomb in cassette player; plane destroyed, 270 dead.
19 Sep 1989 UTA Flight 772 Bomb in cargo hold; plane broke up.
27 Nov 1989 Avianca Flight 203 Bomb near fuel tank; plane exploded.
11 Dec 1994 Philippine Airlines Flight 434 Liquid explosive bomb; 1 dead, 10 injured, plane landed safely.
22 Dec 2001 American Airlines Flight 63 Shoe bomb attempt; failed, no explosion.
7 May 2002 China Northern Flight 6136 Passenger set fire; crash, all died.
24 Aug 2004 Volga-AviaExpress Flight 1353 & Siberia Airlines Flight 1047 RDX bombs on both flights; both crashed.
31 Oct 2015 Metrojet Flight 9268 Bomb in aircraft; broke up in Sinai, all died.
2 Feb 2016 Daallo Airlines Flight 159 Laptop bomb exploded; bomber ejected, plane landed safely.

I don't see how a silly bluetooth name actually increases the risk of someone detonating a bomb on board. Nor how turning the aircraft around somehow decreases the risk of detonation - wouldn't you expect the bomber to push the button once they're informed the plane is returning to EWR?

The only possible justification for the diversion is to send a message that if you use a silly word for your bluetooth or wifi network, we're going to end the flight for everyone. Not sure I agree with that logic.

Curious what they charged the kid with. Is naming your bluetooth technicality illegal?
And what was the point of telling everyone to turn it off? What good would that do if it was seriously a threat?

I don�t even think this was meant as a joke or threat. It�s a pretty common word. Likely either the default name for the device noted above or just what the kid chose to call it. Bomb has a slang meaning �cool� as well.

That's an expensive thing to do - I mean they asked for it to be turned off in flight and it wasn't and at that point a joke turned into a threat. Hope someone will pay for this (monetarily I mean)

There is the (exceedingly small) possibility that ending the flight as soon as possible reduces the risk in case it was some timed device designed to detonate in the future. But even that should have them landing at the closest runway.

A slightly different take --there are words if used on an airplane that have an impact on other passengers that one would expect the airline to take action. Akin to yelling "fire" (as a joke) in a crowded theater.

If a person was to walk thru the aisle shouting "I have a bomb", and even after directed not to, the individual continues. What would you expect the airline to do?

Understand there have been bombings but were any of these threatened in advance? I'm just amazed by the amount of money and resources wasted on clearly non-credible threats like this. Is flying four hours back to Newark really any safer than dealing with the perp at the intended destination? If this was credible, they probably should have diverted to the nearest suitable airport?

Yes, the boy has been sentenced to mow 100'000 lawns to pay for the diversion.

traveling by himself? with guardians? Someone should be held accountable - whatever actual age 'teenager' is here