A United Airlines flight bound for New Orleans squawked the 7500 hijack code on Monday night. A male passenger had reportedly tried to storm the cockpit and claimed to have a bomb on board.
The Boeing 737 MAX 9, operating flight UA2174 from Newark, later landed safely at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. Neither United Airlines nor the authorities had released further details at the time of writing.
What Happened On The Flight To New Orleans
UA2174 is a regular evening service between Newark and New Orleans. The jet left Newark at 9:26 PM local time on Monday 9 November, according to Simple Flying. It then landed at 11:07 PM local time.
Flight tracking platform FlightDeck first flagged the emergency on X, noting that the jet was squawking 7500 due to a threat. The platform then reported that a male passenger had tried to breach the cockpit and claimed he had a bomb.
Simple Flying reports that the pilots first selected 7500 as the aircraft descended through 20,000 feet. The crew later reported that the man was carrying a backpack, which he claimed held a bomb.
Level 4 Alert Sent Across The United Fleet
The crew bound for New Orleans also warned other United aircraft through ACARS, a datalink system that sends text messages between aircraft and the ground.
FlightDeck shared the message, which read: “WE HAD AN ATTEMPTED LEVEL 4 NO OTHER DETAILS ARE KNOWN AT THIS TIME.”
US airlines and authorities grade onboard threats on a scale from Level 1 to Level 4. Level 1 covers verbal disruption, while Level 4 means an attempted or actual breach of the flight deck. In other words, the crew declared the most serious threat level.
The jet then taxied to its gate in New Orleans. By that point, Simple Flying reports, the passenger was sitting with cabin crew at the back of the aircraft. However, no agency has yet confirmed whether officers met the jet or made an arrest.
The Boeing 737 MAX 9 Bound For New Orleans
The aircraft involved in the incident near New Orleans was N17422, a Boeing 737 MAX 9 that is less than a year old. Planespotters data shows that Boeing built the jet at Renton, with manufacturer serial number 43457 and line number 9425.
United took delivery of the aircraft in February 2026, and it entered service on 7 February as fleet number 7422. The airline leases the jet, which carries two CFM International LEAP-1B engines and 179 seats. These are split between 20 seats in United First and 159 in economy.
Readers can review the full track of the flight on Flightradar24.
What Squawk 7500 Means
Squawk codes are four digit numbers that pilots enter into the aircraft transponder to communicate with air traffic control. For example, 7700 signals a general emergency, and 7600 indicates a radio failure. Meanwhile, 7500 signals unlawful interference, which includes hijacking.
Crucially, pilots can select 7500 without saying a word on the radio. This allows them to alert controllers while the person behind the threat remains unaware that the ground knows. Controllers will then confirm the code with the crew and coordinate a security response on the ground.
Second United Security Scare In Weeks
The New Orleans incident comes only weeks after another United security scare. In October, a United Boeing 737 MAX 8 flying from Las Vegas to Newark returned to Harry Reid International Airport. A flight attendant had spotted a passenger texting about a hijacking. Simple Flying reports that police later arrested the man.
The Aviation Hub will update this article as more information emerges from New Orleans.
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