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- Derek Weston via fox - U.S.
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Man accused of threatening to hijack United flight calls it a drunken joke
ReMan accused of threatening to hijack United flight calls it a drunken joke
A New Jersey man charged over a text threatening to hijack United Airlines Flight 1681 told investigators he had been drinking and described the message as poorly worded banter.
A New Jersey man accused of sending a text threatening to hijack a United Airlines flight told investigators he had been drinking and described the message as poorly worded banter with a coworker, according to an arrest report. Dante Milne, 25, allegedly sent the 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.
According to the arrest report, cited by FOX5 Vegas, the message read: "I'm gonna hijack this b---- and crash ur row only." A flight attendant spotted the message shortly after departure and alerted the captain. The captain secured the cockpit and diverted the aircraft back to Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, where it landed at approximately 11:05 p.m.
United Airlines said the flight was delayed overnight because the crew reached its permitted working hours. The plane departed for Newark the following morning. Authorities later charged Milne with one count of making threats or conveying false information concerning an act of terrorism.
The arrest report states that Milne told investigators he had consumed a beer and several shots at an airport bar before boarding. He said he fell asleep on the plane and woke to find it returning to Las Vegas. Initially acknowledging that he had texted someone aboard the flight, he said he could not remember the messages. When investigators asked specifically about the alleged hijacking threat, he described it as "banter between coworkers," according to the report. He reportedly said he never intended to take control of the aircraft and apologized for what happened.
Milne told detectives he was returning home after three days in Las Vegas for an apprenticeship training program involving underwater welding, the report said. Air traffic control audio obtained by and reported by Fox News captured the pilot describing the situation as the flight turned around. The pilot said the passenger did not appear to know the aircraft had returned because of his messages. "The flight attendant saw him texting that he was going to hijack the aircraft and called me and we went lockdown," the pilot said. "No restraint, passenger is compliant because he's unaware."
Milne was released on $10,000 bail, and his attorney told a judge Tuesday that he intended to plead not guilty, according to KLAS-TV. He is due back in court on Jan. 5. United Airlines said the flight returned to Las Vegas "to address a potential security concern." The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the crew reported a passenger disturbance and that the incident remains under investigation.
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