United Flight Returns to Las Vegas With 150 Aboard After Midair Threat
A 25-year-old passenger is charged after allegedly writing he would hijack the plane, and the FAA says there have been over 1,400 unruly passenger incidents this year.
By Katherine Barnes ·
A United Airlines flight carrying 150 passengers turned around and landed back in Las Vegas less than an hour after takeoff on Saturday night, following an alleged midair threat. The redeye was bound for Newark, New Jersey.
A criminal complaint says a 25-year-old passenger wrote that he was going to hijack the plane, using an expletive, and added that he would crash one row only. The document does not state how the message was sent or who received it. Las Vegas police detained him after a report of terroristic threats on the flight.
He was arrested on a charge of making threats or providing false information about an act of terrorism, which carries a possible sentence of 1 to 20 years in prison. His initial court appearance is set for Tuesday. An attorney listed for him did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
United said the plane returned safely to Las Vegas to address a potential security concern. The flight stayed overnight and left for Newark on Sunday morning. The Federal Aviation Administration said it will look into the incident. In an email to The Associated Press, the agency said there have been over 1,400 unruly passenger incidents so far in 2026.
Source: ABC7 Los Angeles
