New Jersey Man Faces Charges After Alleged Threat on United Flight

A man from New Jersey is facing charges after allegedly sending a threatening text message about hijacking a United Airlines flight over the weekend. The individual, Dante Milne, 25, explained to investigators that he had been drinking and described the text as poorly worded banter with a coworker. This information comes from an arrest report.

Milne is accused of sending the message while traveling on United Airlines Flight 1681. The flight was a Boeing 737 carrying 150 passengers and six crew members, traveling from Las Vegas to Newark, New Jersey. According to the arrest report, Milne allegedly wrote, “I’m gonna hijack this b—- and crash ur row only,” as cited by FOX5 Vegas.

A flight attendant noticed the message shortly after departure, prompting the crew to alert the captain. As a safety measure, the cockpit was secured and the aircraft was diverted back to Harry Reid International Airport, landing around 11:05 p.m. The flight faced an overnight delay due to the crew reaching their permitted working hours, departing for Newark the following day.

Authorities charged Milne with one count of making threats or conveying false information concerning an act of terrorism. In an arrest report, Milne stated he had consumed a beer and several shots at an airport bar before boarding the flight.

He fell asleep aboard the plane and awoke to find the aircraft returning to Las Vegas. Milne initially recognized texting someone on the flight but could not recall the content of the messages. Investigators asked specifically about the hijacking threat, which Milne described as misworded “banter between coworkers.” He expressed that there was no intention to take control of the plane and apologized for the incident.

Milne was returning home from Las Vegas after a three-day training for an apprenticeship program in underwater welding, as revealed in the report.

The passenger does not know anything is going on,” the pilot told air traffic controllers.

The air traffic control audio obtained by ATC.com, and reported by Fox News, captures the pilot describing the situation as the flight redirected to Las Vegas. He mentioned that the passenger who was suspected of making the threat seemed unaware of the aircraft’s turnaround.

Milne received release on $10,000 bail, and his attorney indicated that he plans to plead not guilty at a court appearance scheduled for January 5, according to KLAS-TV.

United Airlines commented that the flight returned to Las Vegas due to a “potential security concern.” As stated, “United Flight 1681 from Las Vegas to Newark on Saturday, Oct. 24, safely returned to Las Vegas to address a potential security concern.” The FAA confirmed the crew’s report of a “passenger disturbance,” and it remains under investigation.