LAS VEGAS (AP) — A plane passenger was arrested for allegedly writing an in-flight message saying he was going to “hijack” the plane, forcing the United flight to be diverted to Las Vegas shortly after takeoff Saturday.
The 25-year-old allegedly said he was “going to hijack this plane” — although he used an expletive — and “crash only on your line,” according to a copy of the criminal complaint. The document does not specify exactly how the message was sent or to whom it was addressed.
Las Vegas police said they arrested the man after receiving reports that someone had made “terrorist threats” on Saturday night’s flight to Newark, New Jersey. He was arrested for uttering threats or providing false information regarding an act of terrorism, punishable by 1 to 20 years in prison.
The man’s appointed attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. His first court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday.
The scheduled red-eye flight returned to the airport less than an hour after departure, according to Flightradar24 data.
United confirmed the flight with 150 passengers on board returned safely to Las Vegas to address a “potential security issue.” The flight was delayed overnight and left for Newark Sunday morning.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed it would investigate the incident and said in an email to The Associated Press that there have been more than 1,400 unruly passenger incidents so far in 2026.
Associated Press writer Rio Yamat contributed to this report.
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