American Airlines passengers report mysterious noises on flight intercom

In recent weeks, a series of strange noises about the PA system have been reported on several American Airlines flights, raising concerns that it may be vulnerable to hacking. Below we dive deep into this mystery.

Mysterious sounds plague American flights

In recent weeks, several reports have emerged of mysterious noises emanating from the PA system aboard multiple American Airlines flights. The sounds ranged from moaning to heavy breathing and are persistent throughout the flight, leading many to speculate that the PA system could be vulnerable to outside access.

Actor Emerson Collins captured video and audio footage during a September 6 flight from Los Angeles to Dallas, revealing what appears to be a human voice making unintelligible sounds.

At one point during the video, an AA flight attendant says she thinks the noises are some kind of joke. Other strange occurrences that have been reported include airplane phones ringing with no one on the other end.

While reports of these noises picked up in September, a Twitter user claims to have witnessed similar events aboard a US flight in July, suggesting it’s been going on for some time.

Calls to the cockpit

According to Twitter user @xJonNYCclaimed pilots operating another flight,”someone keeps calling and breathing in the intercom,” before the sounds moved to the PA system.

In another incident, noises”from a horror moviewas continuously broadcast over the PA system as the in-flight entertainment (IFE) and seat power outlets went on and off. These incidents have been reported on both Boeing and Airbus aircraft in the AA fleet.

These incidents have been reported on multiple AA flights. Photo: Getty Images

Notably, pilots aboard one flight performed a series of electrical and system resets after the PA system started making noises before takeoff. After the resets, the PA system reportedly worked normally for the rest of the flight, perhaps suggesting an electrical fault is the cause.

While the mysterious noises, which are clearly human, appear to be some sort of joke, American Airlines has formally commented on the matter, claiming there was a problem with the PA amplifier.

An American Airlines spokesperson said:

“Our maintenance team thoroughly inspected the aircraft and the PA system and determined that the noises were caused by a problem with the PA amplifier. There was no external access to the system.”

It is also important to note that the PA system is wired and not connected to any Wi-Fi systems, making it unlikely that a passenger (or several passengers) could have accessed it during flights.

American claims the problem stems from a problem with its PA amps. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Easy flying.

While American Airlines seems to have allayed any concerns about hacking or haunting, many are unconvinced by the statement and wonder how a faulty amplifier could cause strange human noises on multiple flights.

What do you think is behind the mysterious noises on American Airlines flights? Do you have a more plausible explanation? Let us know in the comments.