Terror in the Air: Sent a Message About a Hijacking and the Plane Turned Back

A flight attendant on a United Airlines flight from Las Vegas to New York noticed a passenger sending text messages about hijacking the plane. The cockpit was locked, a state of emergency was declared, and the plane returned to land in Las Vegas. The passenger was detained for questioning, the flight was canceled and postponed. No injuries were reported.

Drama on a United Airlines flight from Las Vegas to New York: a flight attendant noticed a passenger sending text messages on his mobile phone about hijacking the plane. She alerted the captain, the cockpit was immediately locked, and a state of emergency was declared. The aircraft, a Boeing 737 Max 8, made a U-turn over Arizona and returned to Las Vegas airport. The suspect passenger was unaware that the crew had noticed his actions until the moment of landing, when a police force met him. The plane was fully fueled for a flight of nearly six hours, so the pilots had to fly at low speed to burn fuel before landing. The plane landed safely about an hour and five minutes after takeoff. Due to the delay, the flight crew exceeded their allowed working hours, and the flight was canceled and postponed to the night. Passengers had to wait for an alternative flight that departed the next morning at 7:03 AM. No injuries were reported. The airline, Las Vegas police, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) opened an investigation.