Audio: Illegal immigrant’s alleged plane hijack scare fuels tense security scramble after door was breached

Alarm aboard incoming flight

United Airlines Flight 2174 was traveling from Newark, New Jersey, to New Orleans on Monday evening when pilots sounded the alarm. Newly obtained security audio captures emergency personnel responding to the threat as the plane arrived.

Authorities responded on the tarmac at New Orleans airport. The audio was obtained by 4WWL and reveals the tense response to the reported threat.

Alleged threat and arrest

Rony Gomez-Alberto, 34, of Honduras, is accused of threatening to hijack the plane and saying he had a bomb in his backpack. He was arrested and is currently in jail.

The Department of Homeland Security identified him as Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto and said he had been deported twice. A caption described the arrest as following an alleged cockpit breach attempt aboard the flight on Nov. 9, 2026.

Passengers leave aircraft

The audio suggests Gomez-Alberto may have been held at the back of the aircraft while passengers were deplaning. No one was hurt in the incident. The reporting describes an alleged cockpit breach attempt, while the audio account focuses on the emergency response and reported bomb threat.