Las Vegas Flight Diversion: Passenger Allegedly Threatened to Hijack Plane

A United Airlines flight bound for Newark, New Jersey, returned to Las Vegas on Saturday night after a passenger allegedly threatened to hijack the aircraft. The 25-year-old man was arrested and faces a possible sentence of one to 20 years in prison.

According to a criminal complaint, the man sent a message while in flight stating he was going to “hijack this” plane. He added the phrase “crash ur row only” to the communication, though he used an expletive in the text. The document did not specify who received the message or the method of delivery.

Las Vegas police detained the individual following a report of terroristic threats. He was charged with making a threat or providing false information regarding an act of terrorism. His attorney did not immediately return a request for comment. The man is scheduled for an initial court appearance on Tuesday.

Flightradar24 data indicates the jet returned to the airport less than an hour after departing. United Airlines confirmed that the flight, which carried 150 passengers, returned safely to address a potential security concern. The airline delayed the departure overnight and the plane took off for Newark on Sunday morning.

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed it will investigate the incident. The agency stated in an email to The Associated Press that there have been over 1,400 unruly passenger incidents so far in 2026.