Drunk Passenger’s Joke Sparks Mid-Flight Hijacking Scare

A United Airlines passenger who allegedly sent a chilling message about hijacking his own flight has offered an astonishing explanation for the security scare that forced a packed passenger jet to turn around: He had been drinking and thought he was making a joke.

Dante Milne, a 25-year-old aspiring underwater welder from Wood-Ridge, New Jersey, is facing a serious criminal charge after a flight attendant spotted a disturbing text message that set off emergency security procedures aboard a United Airlines flight traveling from Las Vegas to Newark.

The incident unfolded late Saturday, October 24, when United Flight 1681 departed Harry Reid International Airport carrying 150 passengers and six crew members. What should have been a routine overnight flight quickly turned into a major security concern after a member of the cabin crew noticed a troubling message on a passenger’s phone.

According to an arrest report obtained by FOX5 Las Vegas, Milne allegedly sent a text to a coworker seated several rows behind him, suggesting he intended to hijack the aircraft and deliberately crash it into the area where his colleague was sitting.

The message was reportedly intended as a joke, but the flight attendant who spotted it had no way of knowing whether the apparent threat was genuine.

Rather than confronting Milne and risking a confrontation in the cabin, the crew quietly notified the captain and followed established security procedures. The cockpit was secured, and the pilots made the decision to abandon the flight to New Jersey and return to Las Vegas.

Air traffic control recordings captured the extraordinary situation unfolding behind the scenes.

“The passenger does not know anything is going on,” the pilot told controllers, explaining that the crew had initiated a lockdown after learning about the message.

Milne apparently remained unaware that he was the reason his flight had changed course.

The Boeing 737 landed safely back at Harry Reid International Airport around 11:05 p.m., where officers from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department were waiting to investigate.

Authorities escorted Milne and the coworker who received the message off the aircraft. The plane was subsequently inspected, and officials confirmed that nobody was injured.

But the most surprising part of the story emerged when investigators questioned Milne about what had happened.

According to police, the New Jersey man explained that he had traveled to Las Vegas for a three-day apprenticeship program involving underwater welding and was returning home after completing his training.

Before boarding, he said he stopped at an airport bar, where he consumed a beer and several shots of alcohol.

Milne told investigators he intended to sleep during the flight and claimed he had no idea anything unusual was happening until he woke up and discovered that the aircraft was returning to Las Vegas.

When detectives first asked about his text messages, Milne reportedly acknowledged communicating with another passenger but said he could not remember exactly what he had written.

Once investigators specifically mentioned the hijacking message, however, he offered a different explanation.

The threatening language was simply poorly worded “banter between coworkers,” Milne claimed, according to the arrest report.

He insisted he had never intended to take control of the aircraft, harm anyone or carry out the actions described in the message. Investigators said he also expressed remorse after learning how seriously airline personnel had taken his words.

Unfortunately for Milne, authorities did not consider that explanation sufficient to end the matter.

He was arrested on October 25 and charged with making a threat or conveying false information concerning an act of terrorism, a felony under Nevada law that can carry substantial prison time if a defendant is convicted.

Milne was later released from the Clark County Detention Center after posting bond.

His attorney, James Gallo, appeared in Las Vegas Justice Court on Tuesday and informed the judge that his client intends to plead not guilty. Milne’s next court appearance is scheduled for January 5, 2027.

The alarming episode also created a major inconvenience for the other travelers aboard the aircraft, none of whom had anything to do with the alleged message.

United Airlines confirmed that Flight 1681 was delayed overnight because the crew reached its permitted duty-time limit following the unexpected return. The plane eventually departed for Newark the next morning.

The Federal Aviation Administration has also opened an investigation into the incident, which highlights the difficult decisions airline crews must make when confronted with a possible security threat thousands of feet above the ground.

Even when a passenger insists a message was meant as humor, flight attendants and pilots cannot simply assume that an apparent threat is harmless, particularly when the safety of more than 150 people could be at stake.

The situation also underscores how quickly an individual’s actions can affect an entire aircraft, disrupting travel plans and requiring an immediate response from aviation personnel and law enforcement.

For Milne, what he described as an ill-advised exchange between friends has now become a criminal case with potentially serious consequences.

And while investigators have not alleged that he actually attempted to seize control of the plane, the episode offers a stark reminder that words involving threats to aircraft can trigger consequences far beyond what the person sending them ever intended.