Pilot Sparks Panic With 'Mom on Board' Greeting

A Southwest Airlines pilot gave passengers a scare when he issued a birthday greeting to the mother of an air traffic controller. Passengers panicked after hearing "mom on board" as "bomb on board," the New York Daily News reports. Airline staff rushed to reassure passengers and the pilot explained what he had said, but two passengers filed complaints after the aircraft landed in New York. "He did clarify with the passengers that he was wishing the mother on board a happy birthday," an airline spokeswoman says. The FAA says it will review communication with air traffic control but it is not investigating the pilot. (More aviation stories.)