United flight returns to airport after passenger spotted texting about hijacking aircraft

A United Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Newark returned to Harry Reid Airport on Saturday after a crew member spotted a passenger texting about hijacking the aircraft. The plane landed safely with no injuries among 150 passengers and six crew. The FAA will investigate. The incident follows a recent attempted hijacking of a flydubai flight and comes amid tightened security checks.

A United Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Newark returned to Harry Reid Airport on Saturday after a crew member spotted a passenger sending text messages saying he intended to hijack the aircraft, according to Simple Flying. The pilot declared an emergency and the cockpit went into lockdown. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 landed safely with no injuries among its 150 passengers and six crew members. The FAA said it will investigate. The incident follows the October 1 attempted hijacking of a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, and comes as Israel tightens foreign crew background checks.