United Airlines flight diverted after New Jersey man sent hijack text message
A trainee welder from New Jersey was arrested after sending a hijack threat text on a Las Vegas-Newark flight. He claims it was drunken banter with a co-worker.
Trainee welder arrested after hijack text forces United Airlines flight back to Las Vegas
A United Airlines flight carrying 150 passengers was forced to turn back to Las Vegas after a 25-year-old passenger allegedly sent a text message threatening to hijack the aircraft, Dublin Live reports.
Dante Milne, a trainee welder from New Jersey, was detained following the incident aboard United Flight 1681, which was en route from Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas to Newark Liberty International Airport. The message read: "I'm gonna hijack this b**** and crash ur row only."
Milne later told investigators the message was drunken "banter between coworkers" and that he had no intention of hijacking the plane. He said he had consumed a beer and multiple shots at an airport bar before boarding, then fell asleep mid-flight. He claimed he woke up unaware that the aircraft had already turned around.
According to the arrest file, Milne acknowledged texting someone else on the flight but said he could not recall the exact content of the message. He reportedly stressed that he was sorry for the situation and had not intended for it to escalate. Milne had been in Las Vegas for a three-day work apprenticeship training programme in underwater welding and was heading home when the incident occurred.
A flight attendant spotted the messages and immediately alerted the pilot. Air traffic control was subsequently informed: "The flight attendant saw him texting that he was going to hijack the aircraft. They called me. We went into lockdown, and we returned to Vegas," as reported by CBS News. The pilot also noted that Milne showed "no restraint" because he was unaware the crew had been alerted.
The aircraft, which was carrying six crew members in addition to the 150 passengers, returned safely to Harry Reid International Airport at approximately 11:05 p.m. local time on Saturday, 24 October. All passengers were removed from the plane while authorities conducted a thorough search of the aircraft.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the return in a statement: "United Airlines Flight 1681 returned safely to Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas around 11:05 p.m. local time on Saturday, Oct. 24, after the crew reported a passenger disturbance. The FAA will investigate."
United Airlines issued its own statement confirming the flight had "safely returned to Las Vegas to address a potential security concern." The airline noted the flight was delayed overnight due to crew timeout before departing for Newark the following morning.
Milne was arrested on suspicion of making threats or conveying false information concerning acts of terrorism, according to PEOPLE magazine.
Source: Dublin Live