American Airlines Passengers Report Mysterious Noises On Flight Intercom

A series of strange noises over the PA system have been reported across several American Airlines flights in recent weeks, prompting concerns that it may be vulnerable to hacking. We take a deep dive into this mystery below.

Mysterious noises plague American flights

Several reports have emerged in the last few weeks of mysterious noises emanating from the PA system onboard multiple American Airlines flights. The noises have ranged from groaning to heavy breathing and have persisted throughout entire flights, leading many to speculate that the PA system could be vulnerable to external access.

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

At one moment during the video, an AA flight attendant states she believes the noises are some form of prank. Other strange happenings reported include plane phones ringing with no one on the other end.

While reports of these noises have picked up in September, one Twitter user claims to have experienced similar occurrences onboard an American flight in July, suggesting it has been going on longer.

Calls to the cockpit

According to Twitter user @xJonNYC, pilots operating another flight claimed, “someone keeps calling and breathing into the interphone,” before the noises moved to the PA system.

In another incident, noises “out of a horror movie” persistently aired over the PA system as the in-flight entertainment (IFE) and seat power outlets turned off and on. These incidents have been reported on both Boeing and Airbus planes in the AA fleet.

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

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

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

An American Airlines spokesperson said,

“Our maintenance team thoroughly inspected the aircraft and PA system and determined the sounds were caused by an issue with the PA amplifier. There was no external access to the system.”

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

American claims the problem stems from an issue with its PA amplifiers. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying. 

While American Airlines appear to have put to bed any concerns over hacking or haunting, many are not convinced by the explanation and are left wondering how a faulty amplifier can cause strange human noises to be heard across 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.