United Airlines flight returns to Las Vegas after hijacking threat

Thirteen minutes out of Las Vegas, United Airlines Flight 1681 reversed course over a text message that sent the cockpit into lockdown and forced an unscheduled landing back at Harry Reid International Airport. The Boeing 737, carrying 150 passengers and six crew members toward Newark, New Jersey, touched down safely at approximately 11:05 p.m. local time on Saturday, Oct. 24.

Inside the Cabin: An Unnoticed Lockdown

The emergency began when a flight attendant spotted 25-year-old passenger Dante Milne typing out a message on his phone. According to a criminal complaint cited by the Associated Press, the text allegedly read: “I’m gonna hijack this b—- and crash ur row only.” Air traffic control communications revealed that the crew immediately secured the flight deck while leaving the cabin unaware of the abrupt diversion.

“The passenger does not know anything is going on,” a pilot told air traffic controllers, according to audio transcripts. “The flight attendant saw him texting that he was going to hijack the aircraft. They called me, we went in lockdown.”

Man arrested after alleged hijacking text prompts United flight to return to Las Vegas

Because Milne remained oblivious to the security posture unfolding around him, the flight crew opted against physical restraints. Aviation expert Reed Yadon explained that this approach prevented the situation from escalating, allowing crew members to keep both the cabin and cockpit secure without alarming the wider passenger manifest.

Weight Restrictions and Airport Logistics

The return to Las Vegas introduced a secondary operational hurdle. Flight tracking data and air traffic control records showed the aircraft was too heavy for an immediate, safe landing because it had not burned off enough jet fuel during its brief 13-minute flight. Pilots initially attempted to adjust their approach as they were grossly overweight, ultimately requiring full runway clearance from air traffic control to touch down safely.

United passenger arrested for hijacking threat on Las Vegas-Newark flight

The delay rippled through United Airlines operations. The flight was delayed overnight because the crew reached its permitted working hours, eventually departing for Newark the following morning.

The Arrest and Legal Defense

Las Vegas law enforcement met the aircraft at the gate and arrested Milne. Prosecutors charged him with one count of making threats or conveying false information concerning an act of terrorism, a category B felony carrying a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.

United Airlines flight diverted after passenger allegedly texts hijack threat — Photo: foxnews.com

During subsequent police interviews detailed in arrest reports, Milne stated that he had consumed a beer and several shots of alcohol at an airport bar before boarding. He explained that he fell asleep after takeoff and only realized the plane was turning around when he woke up.

Milne told detectives that he could not remember the exact wording of his messages, characterizing the exchange as a poorly worded instance of banter with a coworker seated elsewhere on the plane. He insisted he never intended to seize control of the aircraft and expressed remorse over the incident.

United flight returns to Las Vegas over ‘potential security concern,’ officials say

Following his arrest, Milne was released from the Clark County Detention Center on $10,000 bail. On Oct. 27, his defense attorney, James Gallo, appeared virtually on his behalf to plead not guilty and request a preliminary hearing. Milne is scheduled to return to court on Jan. 5, 2027.

The incident unfolded less than a month after the Oct. 1 attempted hijacking of FlyDubai Flight 1073, an event that had already heightened security vigilance across the aviation community.