A United Airlines passenger accused of sending a text about hijacking plans forced a flight headed to Newark to return to Las Vegas shortly after takeoff. Dante Milne later told investigators he had been drinking and was joking with a friend seated elsewhere on the aircraft, as reported [1] by The New York Post.
Milne, 25, was arrested over the weekend after the message was allegedly spotted aboard United Airlines Flight 1681 on Saturday. The trainee welder was traveling from Las Vegas to Newark when the security scare unfolded, according to a criminal complaint.
The complaint says the message read, “I’m gonna hijack this bitch and crash ur row only,” while Milne was aboard the plane. A flight attendant allegedly saw Milne typing the message on his phone and alerted the captain.
Flight 1681, a Boeing 737, was carrying 150 passengers and six crew members. After the crew member reported the text, the captain initiated a lockdown, and the aircraft turned back toward Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas.
The plane landed at 11:05 p.m., only 15 minutes after it had taken off. Milne was not confronted during the flight, while Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officers waited for the aircraft on the tarmac.
All passengers and crew members were evacuated after the plane returned. The aircraft was inspected, and no one was injured during the incident.
After his arrest, the Wood-Ridge, New Jersey, native told investigators that he had consumed a beer and some shots at an airport bar before boarding. That was the beginning of his boozy explanation for a message that brought the flight to an abrupt end.
Milne said he fell asleep after getting on the aircraft, according to Fox 5 Vegas, which cited his arrest report. When he woke up, he discovered that the plane was already heading back to Las Vegas just minutes after its departure.
During his initial discussion with investigators, Milne acknowledged sending a text to someone else aboard the flight. He reportedly said, however, that he did not remember what the messages had been about.
Investigators then asked Milne specifically about the hijacking comment. According to the arrest report, he characterized the poorly worded message as “banter between coworkers,” rather than an actual plan to take control of the plane.
Milne claimed that he never intended to take over the aircraft. He also told investigators that he was sorry about how the episode unfolded.
The 25-year-old had been returning home after a trip lasting three days in Las Vegas, according to what he told detectives. He said the visit involved a work apprenticeship training program for underwater welding.
Police arrested Milne after the plane returned to Harry Reid International Airport. He was charged with one count of making threats or conveying false information concerning act of terrorism.
Milne was held at the Clark County Detention Center before being released on $10,000 bail. His attorney, James Gallo, told a judge Tuesday that Milne planned to plead not guilty, according to News 3 LV.
The case is scheduled to return to court on Jan. 5. Neither Milne nor Gallo responded to requests for comment.
What began as a Saturday flight carrying 156 passengers and crew members ended with an evacuation, a police response, and an inspection of the Boeing 737. Milne’s explanation to investigators was that alcohol and badly phrased banter, not an actual hijacking plot, were behind the message.