American Airlines canceled a London-bound flight out of Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday after a passenger’s phone picked up a WiFi network named “Al-Quida Free Terror.”

LAX police officers boarded the plane about 10 p.m. and investigated the incident. A photograph posted online of one passenger’s phone shows it connected with the full-strength WiFi hotspot.

Officials, though, determined no crime had been committed, police Sgt. Karla Ortiz said.

“Passengers were interviewed and cleared to continue with their travel plans,” she said in a statement.


Nevertheless, the incident prompted the airline to cancel the scheduled flight, stranding many passengers in Los Angeles for a day.

Passenger Anthony Simon, who appears to work in digital communications, wasn’t pleased and took to Twitter to express his frustration.

“Thanks to the idiot who did this meaning I won’t get back to London for another day. #aa136,” he wrote, attaching a link to a KABC-TV story about the incident.

The flight was expected to take off Monday, Ortiz said.


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