A cabin crew member allegedly spotted a passenger texting about hijacking the aircraft, prompting the pilot to lock down the cockpit and alert air traffic control.
United Flight 1681 was travelling from Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas to Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey on Saturday night when the alarming messages were reportedly discovered.
The Boeing 737 was carrying 150 passengers and six crew members when the incident unfolded shortly after take-off.
According to reports by CBS News and The Independent, the flight attendant alerted the pilot after seeing the passenger allegedly texting about taking control of the aircraft.
“The flight attendant saw him texting that he was going to hijack the aircraft. They called me, we went into lockdown and we returned to Vegas,” the pilot reportedly told an air traffic controller in audio obtained by CBS News.
The crew’s swift response triggered a return to Las Vegas, where authorities were waiting to investigate the reported threat.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the aircraft returned safely to Harry Reid International Airport following a reported passenger disturbance.
United Airlines described the diversion as a response to a “potential security concern”. No injuries were reported.
Once the plane landed, passengers were taken off the aircraft while authorities carried out security checks. The incident resulted in an overnight delay, with the flight departing for Newark on Sunday morning.
According to the Associated Press, Las Vegas police detained a 25-year-old man following a report of terroristic threats aboard the flight.
He was subsequently arrested on charges of making a threat or providing false information regarding an act of terrorism.
The criminal complaint reportedly detailed messages in which the passenger allegedly threatened to hijack the aircraft and target a particular row of passengers.
However, investigators have not publicly established the full circumstances surrounding the messages or their intended recipient.
