United Flight from Las Vegas Returns After Flight Attendant Spots Passenger Texting About Hijacking

A United Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Newark returned to Harry Reid International Airport shortly after takeoff Saturday night after a flight attendant spotted a passenger texting that he intended to hijack the aircraft, according to air traffic control audio and reporting from aviation outlets. 

United Flight 1681, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 carrying 150 passengers and six crew members, departed Harry Reid around 10:51 p.m. local time on October 24, 2026, bound for Newark Liberty International Airport. The aircraft had climbed to roughly 24,000 feet when cabin crew alerted the captain to the message. The flight deck was locked down, the pilot declared a general emergency, and the jet turned around over northwestern Arizona before landing safely back in Las Vegas around 11:36–11:42 p.m. 

In ATC audio circulated on X and reported by Simple Flying, the pilot told controllers: “The passenger doesn’t know anything is going on. The flight attendant saw him texting that he was going to hijack the aircraft.” The passenger remained unaware of the discovery and was described as compliant, with no restraints required. Law enforcement met the aircraft at the gate and spoke with the individual involved. No injuries were reported. 

Audio of the suspected attempted hijacking of a flight from Vegas to Newark.
A flight attendant reportedly spotted a passenger sending a text message stating that he was going to hijack the aircraft pic.twitter.com/XynXXhcB9s

— Rob V (@RobV59) October 25, 2026

United confirmed to USA TODAY and local Las Vegas outlets that the flight returned due to a “potential security concern” or “passenger disturbance.” The airline said the overnight delay resulted from crew timeout under FAA duty-time rules. A replacement flight departed Sunday morning around 7 a.m. and reached Newark in the early afternoon, more than eight hours after the original scheduled arrival. 

Harry Reid International Airport referred further questions to United and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. As of Monday, LVMPD had not publicly detailed any arrests or charges, and neither the airline nor airport officials elaborated beyond the security concern framing. The FAA said it is investigating. No further updates on the passenger’s identity or the outcome of the law enforcement interview had been released as of publication.