A commercial airline flight bound for New Jersey was forced to turn around and head back to Las Vegas on Saturday night after a passenger allegedly wrote a threatening message indicating an intention to hijack the aircraft.
The 25-year-old passenger allegedly communicated that he was going to hijack the plane using an expletive and stated that he would target a specific row, according to details outlined in a criminal complaint. The legal filing does not specify the exact method used to transmit the message or the intended recipient of the communication.
Local law enforcement in Las Vegas reported that officers detained the man following a call regarding an individual making terroristic threats aboard the aircraft. The flight had departed from Las Vegas and was scheduled to operate as a redeye service to Newark, New Jersey, but returned to the departure airport less than an hour after takeoff, flight tracking data indicates.
United Airlines confirmed that the aircraft, carrying 150 passengers on board, landed safely back in Las Vegas to address what the carrier described as a potential security concern. The delayed flight was rescheduled and successfully departed for Newark on Sunday morning.
The suspect faces formal charges of making a threat or providing false information regarding an act of terrorism. Under applicable statutes, the offense carries a potential prison sentence ranging from one to 20 years upon conviction. Court records show that an attorney listed to represent the man did not immediately respond to requests for comment following the incident, and an initial court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday.
Federal aviation regulators announced that an investigation into the disturbance is underway. The Federal Aviation Administration noted that the event contributes to a growing total of unruly passenger incidents, with more than 1,400 such occurrences reported across commercial aviation operations during the year.
