United Airlines flight diverted to Las Vegas after passenger texts hijack threat, police report says

A text message about hijacking led a United Airlines flight bound for Newark, New Jersey, to turn back to Las Vegas on Saturday night. Police arrested Dante Milne, 25, after a flight attendant noticed the message soon after take-off. Milne later told officers the text was workplace banter and said no one was in danger.

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Las Vegas police said Milne was charged with making a threat or offering false information in reference to an act of terrorism. Milne’s attorney, James Gallo, told The Associated Press that he was still evaluating his clients case but Milne plans to plead not guilty. The police report said Milne denied any plan to hijack the plane.

United plane diverted after hijack text message

According to the report, the flight attendant first saw two passengers texting during boarding. The messages included derogatory remarks about other passengers and attendants. Later, the attendant noticed an incoming message that began with Im gonna hijack. The attendant then alerted the lead flight attendant, and police later identified Milne as the sender.

Police said the entire message was: Im gonna hijack this plane - although he used an expletive instead of plane - and crash ur row only. The report said the captain was informed after the aircraft passed 10,000 feet, or 3,050 meters. Police noted this followed sterile flight deck procedures during key flight phases.

An air traffic control recording posted on the ATC app captured the pilot’s reason for returning. The pilot can be heard saying a flight attendant reported the text message. After that report, the crew decided to head back to Las Vegas. The plane diverted shortly after departure, and officers took Milne into custody.

Police report details Milne interview after hijack claim

Milne, from Woodridge, New Jersey, told officers the Las Vegas trip involved a three-day apprenticeship training programme. The report linked it to Milne’s work as an underwater welder. Milne said beer and shots were consumed at an airport bar. Milne told police the plan was to sleep through the flight.

The arrest report said Milne claimed to be asleep in the air. Milne said waking up brought news that the flight was returning to Las Vegas. Milne admitted to texting another passenger met during the training programme. At first, Milne told officers the exact messages could not be recalled, the report said.

When asked about the hijacking wording, Milne told officers the message was badly phrased, the report said. Milne described the exchange as banter with a co-worker. The report said Milne denied trying to hijack the aircraft, crash it, or harm anyone. Police still treated the message as a serious threat.

Airline security alert over hijack and bomb jokes

Authorities have arrested passengers in past cases involving bomb or hijack jokes. In 2022, a man in Chicago joked about having a bomb while checking a bag. In 2017, a Turkish Airlines flight diverted after a passenger renamed a Wi-Fi hot spot bomb. Last summer, an Allegiant Air flight landed after a bomb comment about a laptop.

Such jokes can be a felony in many places, police and industry officials have warned. The airline sector has long treated references to bombs or hijackers with extreme caution. The report also noted heightened concern after a recent incident on a FlyDubai flight. Authorities said a co-pilot attacked the captain with an axe and tried to crash the plane.

The police report linked the diversion to the flight attendant’s observation and the crew’s response once the message was reported. Milne remained accused of making a terror-related threat or false statement. Milne continued to deny any intent to harm anyone, while James Gallo said Milne planned to plead not guilty.

With inputs from PTI