Man accused of threatening to hijack United flight says it was a drunken joke
A New Jersey man accused of sending a text threatening to hijack a United Airlines flight over the weekend told investigators he had been drinking and described the message as poorly worded banter on a coworker, according to an arrest report.
Dante Milne, 25, allegedly sent the threatening message Saturday while aboard United Airlines Flight 1681, a Boeing 737 carrying 150 passengers and six crew members from Las Vegas to Newark, New Jersey.
"I’m gonna hijack this b**** and crash ur row only," Milne allegedly wrote, according to an arrest report cited by FOX5 Vegas.
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The message was allegedly spotted by a flight attendant shortly after departure, and the crew alerted the captain, who secured the cockpit and diverted the aircraft back to Harry Reid International Airport, where it landed at approximately 11:05 p.m. local time.
The flight was delayed overnight after the crew reached its permitted working hours and departed for Newark the following morning, United Airlines previously told Fox News Digital.
Authorities later charged Milne with one count of making threats or conveying false information concerning an act of terrorism.
According to the arrest report, Milne told investigators he had consumed a beer and several shots at an airport bar before boarding.
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He said he then fell asleep aboard the plane and woke up to discover the aircraft was returning to Las Vegas.
Milne initially acknowledged texting someone aboard the flight but said he could not remember the messages. When investigators specifically asked about the alleged hijacking threat, he described it as poorly worded "banter between coworkers," according to the arrest report.
Milne reportedly said he never intended to take control of the aircraft and apologized for what happened.
He told detectives he was returning home after spending three days in Las Vegas for an apprenticeship training program involving underwater welding, according to the report.
Air traffic control audio previously obtained by ATC.com and reported by Fox News captured the pilot explaining the situation as the flight returned to Las Vegas, including that the passenger suspected of making the threat apparently did not realize the aircraft had turned around because of him.
"The passenger does not 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 and called me and we went lockdown. … No restraint, passenger is compliant because he’s unaware."
Milne was later released on $10,000 bail, and his attorney told a judge Tuesday that he intended to plead not guilty, according to KLAS-TV.
Milne is due back in court on Jan. 5.
Following the incident, United Airlines said the flight had returned to Las Vegas to address a "potential security concern."
"United flight 1681 from Las Vegas to Newark on Saturday, Oct. 24, safely returned to Las Vegas to address a potential security concern," United Airlines previously told Fox News Digital.
"The flight was delayed overnight due to crew timeout, and departed for Newark this morning," the airline added.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also confirmed that the flight's crew reported a "passenger disturbance" and that the incident remained under investigation.
Fox News Digital's Jessica Mekles and Sophia Compton contributed to this report.