Pilots thought someone was trying to break into American Airlines cockpit

OMAHA, Neb. — OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Pilots aboard a commercial jet mistakenly thought someone was trying to break into the cockpit Monday, leading the flight to return to the Omaha airport less than 40 minutes after departing for Los Angeles.

The misunderstanding on American Airlines Flight 6469 occurred because the intercom that pilots and flight attendants use to talk to each other was accidentally left on, an American Airlines spokesperson said. The pilots heard a static sound through this intercom and mistakenly thought it meant someone was trying to break in.

The flight was operated by SkyWest, which provides regional routes for U.S. and other airlines. The plane was an Embraer ERJ 175, according to flight tracking site FlightAware.

The Omaha Airport Authority said there had been no security-related incidents at the airport and referred questions to American.