A United Airlines flight heading from Las Vegas to New Jersey returned to the airport after a flight attendant reported a passenger’s text message referencing a hijacking, according to a police report. The incident took place on Saturday aboard Flight 1681, which later departed for Newark the following morning after an overnight delay.
The attendant said she saw an exchange between two passengers while they were boarding at Harry Reid International Airport. The messages included derogatory comments and racial slurs about people on the plane, according to the report. About five minutes later, she noticed a message that began, “I’m gonna hijack.” Police said Dante Milne, 25, of New Jersey, had texted a co-worker that he was going to hijack the aircraft and “crash ur row only.”
The crew alerted the lead flight attendant, who treated the message as a potential security threat. The police report said the captain was informed after the aircraft passed 10,000 feet, in keeping with sterile flight deck procedures. Milne and his co-worker were seated several rows apart, in seats 10C and 37D, respectively. The co-worker was released because he had only received the message, police said.
The aircraft returned to Las Vegas, where police boarded and took both passengers into custody. Milne was charged with making threats or conveying false information about an act of terrorism, a Category B felony in Nevada. He told police the message was poorly worded banter between co-workers and said he had been drinking at an airport bar before the flight. He denied intending to harm anyone, according to the report.
Milne was booked into the Clark County Detention Center and later released on a $10,000 bond. If convicted, he could face at least two years in prison and a $5,000 fine; the report says the prison term could be as long as 20 years if aggravating factors apply.
United confirmed that the flight was delayed overnight because the crew timed out, then left for Newark on Sunday morning. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.
Sources: The New York Times Travel.