Codeword could have sparked air scare

AUSTRALIAN authorities said yesterday a misunderstanding may have triggered a flight alert that forced a Los Angeles-bound plane to turn back to Sydney, in one of the country's worst airline scares since the September 11, 2001, attacks.

United Airlines Flight 840, carrying 246 passengers including a senior US diplomat was turned around 90 minutes after take-off yesterday and returned to Sydney after a flight attendant found the letters "BOB" written on an air sickness bag in one of the Boeing 747's toilets.

Flight crews commonly use the letters as an abbreviation for "Bomb On Board", and the captain decided to go back after learning of the find.

However, police who searched the plane found no bomb and flight attendants in Australia said the letters were also commonly used for "Best On Board", referring to the most attractive passenger.

"A BOB could mean both things ... I certainly can understand it could be taken as bomb on board as well," said Michael Mijatov, from the Flight Attendants Association.

Transport minister John Anderson said the flight's pilot was right not to take any risks. "In circumstances like that, I don't think either you, I or any of our listeners would be too keen to pass judgment on the person who had to make (this decision)," he said. "He would have carefully assessed the risk and he made the decision in the light of the information available to him. We cannot run risks. The pilot was right in my view not to run risks."

Anderson conceded an investigation may never discover who wrote the note.

"It may have been a genuine and serious misunderstanding," he said. "Nonetheless, someone has been irresponsible at least and horrendously selfish and stupid at worst and every effort will be made to find the person responsible."

Sydney Airport Corporation chief executive Max Moore-Wilton praised the actions of airline and airport staff, as well as state and police during the emergency that saw roads around the airport closed and all flights in and out of Australia's busiest airport suspended.

He confirmed a senior American diplomat was on board the plane and special measures were taken to protect the individual, whom he declined to identify.