Man Accused of Threatening to Hijack United Flight Says It Was a Drunken Joke

LAS VEGAS—A man from New Jersey has been accused of sending a text saying, "I'm gonna hijack this b---- and crash ur row only.” According to the arrest report, he admitted that he was drunk and it was just a friendly joke that he was sending to his coworker. 

The man, identified as Dante Milne from New Jersey, sent a message while he was on United Flight 1681 that was scheduled from Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in New Jersey on October 24. A crew member spotted the message and informed the pilot, after which the plane was brought back to Las Vegas. 

What Milne Told Investigators

As per the arrest report, Mine told the officer that he had beer and shots at an airport bar before boarding the plane. He further continued and said that he was intending to sleep and found something was wrong when he woke and saw that the flight was returning to its departure point. 

Initially, Milne admitted that he sent a message to someone while he was on the plane, but he poorly remembers what he wrote. The investigators later directly asked him about the hijacking, on which he said it was just a friendly joke between the two coworkers. He described in the report that he never had the intention of taking control of the flight, and then he apologized.   

Milne told the officers that he had been to Las Vegas for a three-day apprenticeship training program in underwater welding, and on Oct. 24, he was returning to his home. 

Air traffic control audio, reported by Fox News, supports the idea that he was unaware of the commotion. The pilot told controllers the passenger was compliant because he did not know anything was going on.

Charge and Court Dates

The authorities have accused Milne of a crime related to a terrorism threat or false information. However, the court grants the bail for $10,000, but his case will continue, and the next hearing is set on January 5. 

According to KLAS-TV, on Tuesday, his attorney told a judge that Milne intends to plead not guilty. 

However, as of now, Milne is just an accused but has not been found guilty of any crime. His claim that the message was just a joke has not been examined in the court. 

Airline and FAA Response

United’s representative was not sharing the details of the turnaround, but when asked directly about the cockpit audio that was referring to the hijack of the plane, then a spokesperson of the United Airlines said, “United flight 1681 from Las Vegas to Newark on Saturday, Oct. 24, safely returned to Las Vegas to address a potential security concern.” 

The flight landed at 11:05 pm. The spokesperson later said that the flight departed for Newark on Sunday morning. 

The Federal Aviation Administration said the crew reported a passenger disturbance and that the incident remains under investigation.

Read Also: - United Flight Turns Back to Las Vegas After Crew Spots Passenger's Hijack Text; Man Arrested