United flight turns back to Las Vegas after a flight attendant allegedly spots a passenger texting about hijacking it

'The passenger does not know anything is going on,' the pilot of United Flight 1681 told air traffic control, saying the man was compliant and unrestrained. The crew had locked down the Newark-bound Boeing 737 after the alleged message was seen. The jet had left Harry Reid International Airport at 10:37pm on Saturday 24 October and was back within the hour.

The pilot warned the jet was 'grossly overweight' and circled twice to burn fuel.

All 150 passengers were removed and inspected; they flew to Newark at 7am Sunday.

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