The Smart Marty Sky Dispatch
Im Gonna Hijack This Plane: United Airlines Flight Bound For Newark Diverted To Las Vegas After Passengers
A United Airlines flight bound for Newark returned to Las Vegas after a flight attendant spotted a passenger's text threatening to hijack the plane. Dante Milne, 25, was arrested and charged with making a terrorism-related threat. He told police it was coworker banter and denied harmful intent.
A United Airlines flight bound for Newark, New Jersey, diverted back to Las Vegas shortly after takeoff after a flight attendant received a text related to a potential hijack.
Police arrested Dante Milne, 25, of Woodridge, New Jersey, who was identified as the sender of the messages. He was charged with making a threat or offering false information in reference to an act of terrorism.
The flight crew notified air traffic control after the captain was alerted to the message while the aircraft was climbing through 10,000 feet, triggering a return to Las Vegas according to the police report.
Milne claimed the exchange was banter with a coworker and that he had no intention to harm anyone, stating he was in Las Vegas for work-related training and had consumed alcohol prior to the flight.
No further details on injuries, aircraft specifics, dates beyond the reported event, or outcomes of the case are provided in the material.