LAS VEGAS, Nevada — A United Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Newark returned to Harry Reid International Airport shortly after takeoff on Saturday night after a flight attendant reportedly spotted a passenger texting about hijacking the aircraft, Simple Flying and Aviation A2Z reported, citing air traffic control recordings.

Source: Simple Flying

United Flight 1681, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, departed Las Vegas at 10:51 p.m. on Saturday, October 24, bound for Newark Liberty International Airport, and had climbed to about 24,000 feet when the message was reportedly seen. In the ATC audio, the pilot said: “The passenger doesn’t know anything is going on. The flight attendant saw him texting that he was going to hijack the aircraft.” The crew locked down the cockpit and turned back over Arizona.

The aircraft declared a general emergency, squawking 7700, and landed back in Las Vegas at 11:42 p.m., about 51 minutes after departure, on Runway 26L. Because it was still carrying fuel for the nearly five-hour flight to Newark, the landing was overweight, and the crew warned controllers they might need the full length of the runway. Law enforcement met the aircraft on arrival and spoke with the passenger, who, according to the reports, had remained unaware of the crew’s concern.

No injuries were reported. The flight was then delayed overnight after the crew timed out, and a replacement service departed at 7:03 a.m. on Sunday, arriving in Newark more than eight hours late. Simple Flying reported, via FOX5 Las Vegas, that the security concern was referred to the airline and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and that the Federal Aviation Administration is also investigating the incident.

The reports do not establish whether the message reflected a credible hijacking plan or a statement made without intent to act, and no arrest or charge was reported in the coverage. Simple Flying said a United spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment. The allegation about the text is reported as what the crew said they saw, not as a proven fact.