What a Joke: United Passenger Justifies Hijacking Texts as “Banter Between Coworkers”

The New Jersey, US, man accused of texting about hijacking a United Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Newark told police the messages were a joke shared between coworkers, according to documents obtained by KLAS-TV in Las Vegas. Just a Case of Banter D.M. of Clifton, New Jersey, said he had met the recipient of the messages during a three-day underwater-welding apprenticeship program in Las Vegas. The 25-year-old reportedly described the threatening texts as “banter between coworkers.” M. failed to appear for a scheduled court hearing on October 27, and authorities decided to continue the case until January 5, 2027, according to the report. The case stems from an incident on Saturday night, October 24, that forced United Airlines Flight 1681 to return to Las Vegas after a flight attendant allegedly spotted the passenger texting about hijacking the aircraft. Flight Was Forced to Return to Las Vegas The Boeing 737 MAX 8 was scheduled to fly from Harry Reid International Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport with 150 passengers and six crew members on board. The aircraft pushed back from the gate at 10:37 pm local time and departed at 10:52 pm. Right after takeoff, a flight attendant alerted the cockpit after allegedly noticing the man sending a message indicating an intention to hijack the plane. Air traffic control audio captured the crew describing the situation as they began security procedures and restricted access to the cockpit. “The passenger doesn’t know anything is going on,” the pilot told air traffic controllers. “The flight attendant saw him texting that he was going to hijack the aircraft.” The plane had climbed to approximately 24,000 feet and crossed into northwestern Arizona when the crew decided to abandon the flight and return to Las Vegas. After declaring an emergency and transmitting transponder code 7700, the standard signal for a general emergency, the crew received priority handling from air traffic control. The aircraft turned back at around 11:05 pm and landed safely at 11:36 pm It reached the gate six minutes later. The Jokester Was Arrested After Landing Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers detained M. after the aircraft returned. He was escorted off the plane in handcuffs and booked into the Clark County Detention Center on suspicion of making a threat to commit an act of terrorism. Court records indicate that he posted a $10,000 surety bond. United Airlines said the flight was delayed overnight because of crew duty-time limits. The airline subsequently operated the service to Newark the following morning. The FAA is investigating the incident. Although M. reportedly told police that the messages were intended as a joke, the flight crew treated the alleged threat as a security concern serious enough to abandon the journey. The case is still pending, and the allegations have not been established in court.