United Crew Spots Passenger “Texting He Was Going To Hijack” Plane, Cockpit Locked Down

Published Oct 26, 2026, 2:28 AM EDT Journalist – Aaron is an aviation and travel journalist with 14 years of experience in the travel and tourism industry. His background spans airport operations, aviation infrastructure, and travel consulting, having worked with global organizations across New Zealand, Europe, and North America. Combining industry expertise with firsthand travel experience across more than 52 countries and five continents, Aaron covers airlines, airports, aviation policy, and the wider travel sector. He is based in Canterbury, New Zealand. His work has been published in Simple Flying and featured by MSN, SAM CHUI Aviation & Travel, EIN News, Pakistan Defence, and Climate Depot. A security concern on a routine United Airlines flight from Las Vegas to New York prompted the aircraft to return to Vegas shortly after takeoff after a flight attendant reportedly spotted a passenger texting about hijacking the plane. The crew locked down the cockpit and returned to Las Vegas, where law enforcement met the aircraft. United Airlines flight 1681 departed from Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) on Saturday, October 24, destined for the airline's base at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). According to air traffic control (ATC) audio, a flight attendant spotted the suspicious message shortly after takeoff and alerted the captain. United Flight Returns After Passenger Messages About Hijacking Credit: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock The service, operated by a United Boeing 737 MAX 8, departed from Las Vegas on Saturday at 10:51 PM, 11 minutes behind its initial scheduled departure time of 10:40 PM. The plane had climbed to 24,000 feet when the threatening text message was spotted. According to ATC recordings shared by RobV on X, the passenger was not made aware that the crew had spotted the message until they were met by law enforcement on the flight's return to Las Vegas. Once the flight crew was aware, the cockpit was subsequently locked down, and the captain made the decision to return to Las Vegas. The jet made a U-turn over the Arizona ghost town of Oak Grove, before taking a number of turns prior to the aircraft's arrival back into the City of Sin. The pilot told ATC, "The passenger doesn’t know anything is going on. The flight attendant saw him texting that he was going to hijack the aircraft." Data from Simple Flying's Flight Tracker identifies the plane landed back into Las Vegas at 11:42 PM, around 50 minutes after the plane's initial departure. Simple Flying reached out to United for comment on the flight; however, an airline spokesperson could not immediately be reached. UA1681 Squawked 7700, Emergency Declared Credit: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock After the flight crew was made aware of the suspicious message, the aircraft declared a general emergency, squawking 7700. This permitted the jet to receive priority to return to Vegas. The aircraft was carrying fuel for the nearly six-hour flight to Newark and was therefore above its normal landing weight. The pilot told ATC that the plane had around 24,800 pounds (11,249 kg) of fuel for the flight to Newark, which resulted in an overweight landing. The 737 cannot dump fuel, so the plane returned to Las Vegas slower than usual, in an attempt to burn off as much fuel as possible. The captain also warned air traffic control that they may require the full length of Runway 26L. The aircraft landed safely on Runway 26L. Law enforcement met the plane and spoke with the passenger, who reportedly remained unaware of the concern. The flight was then delayed overnight after the crew timed out, and a replacement service departed at 7:03 AM on Sunday, arriving in Newark more than eight hours late. Aircraft Involved: N17310 Credit: Angel DiBilio | Shutterstock The United plane at the center of the incident was N17310, a 737 MAX 8 that was first delivered to United in 2023. Configured with a two-class layout, it can accommodate up to 166 passengers with both Domestic First and United Main Cabin onboard. Taking its first test flight on June 20, 2023, the plane was then delivered to Chicago-based United on July 20, 2023. It has operated for the Star Alliance carrier ever since, primarily operating domestic or short-haul international services. Full details of the plane's characteristics can be viewed in the table below, with information from ch-aviation: Aircraft Registration N17310 Serial Number (MSN) 67566 Line Number (LN) 8638 Hex Code A126E6 First Flight Date June 20, 2023 Delivery Date July 20, 2023 Plane Age 3.3 years Engines Two CFMI LEAP-1B As reported by Fox5Vegas, concerns surrounding the flight and the potential security concern have been referred to the airline and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. The FAA is also investigating the incident.