United Flight 1681 returned to Las Vegas on Saturday, Oct. 24, after a flight attendant reported a passenger texting about hijacking the aircraft. Police arrested Dante Raymond Milne, 25, on a felony charge after the plane landed at Harry Reid International Airport.
Background: United Crew Locks Down Cockpit After Passenger Texts About Hijacking
The Boeing 737 had left Las Vegas just before 11 p.m., bound for Newark Liberty International Airport. It carried 150 passengers and six crew members.
A flight attendant saw the passenger typing, then alerted the lead attendant. The plane turned back about 10 minutes after takeoff. It landed safely at about 11:05 p.m.
Nevada law makes the alleged threat a felony
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department arrested Milne on suspicion of making a terrorist threat, charged as making a threat or conveying false information regarding an act of terrorism. Nevada statute sets a potential prison term of one to 20 years for the felony.
Police confirmed on Monday, Oct. 26, that a person had been taken into custody after threats aboard the flight. The allegation has not been resolved in court.
Milne told police the text was workplace banter
Milne told officers the message was poorly worded “banter between coworkers,” according to the arrest report. He denied wanting to take control of or bring down the aircraft, said he did not intend to harm anyone and apologized for what happened.
He initially acknowledged texting someone on board but said he could not remember what the messages concerned. Asked specifically about the hijacking message, he offered the banter explanation. He also said he fell asleep and woke to find the aircraft returning to Las Vegas.
The arrest report identified Milne as a resident of Wood-Ridge, New Jersey. He was seated in 10C, and the message went to a passenger in 37D. Police said he allegedly sent racial slurs about crew members to another passenger.
Milne told officers he had consumed a beer and several shots of spirits at an airport bar before boarding. He said he planned to sleep during the flight. He was traveling home after a three-day trip to Las Vegas for a work apprenticeship training program in underwater welding.
The captain ordered a return while the passenger remained unaware
The flight attendant alerted the lead attendant, who contacted the captain after the aircraft passed 10,000 feet, according to the account of the incident. The captain told air traffic controllers the passenger did not know the crew was responding.
“The passenger does not know anything is going on. The flight attendant saw him texting that he was going to hijack the aircraft. They called me we went into lockdown, and we returned to Vegas,” the pilot said.
The captain described the aircraft as “grossly overweight” and said it needed to burn fuel before landing. Flight paths showed two loops before the aircraft returned. The pilot asked that law enforcement meet the plane at the gate.
Passengers were evacuated, and the Boeing 737 underwent a security inspection. An officer escorted two passengers off the aircraft. No injuries were reported.
Officers waiting on the tarmac detained Milne without incident. Police booked him into the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas. He later posted $10,000 bail and was released; a bail condition required him to stay out of trouble.
The airline rescheduled the Newark trip after a crew timeout
United Airlines said the plane returned to address a potential security concern. The carrier said a crew timeout delayed the trip overnight, and the flight departed for Newark on Sunday morning. The remaining 149 passengers stayed in Las Vegas overnight and arrived in Newark on Sunday.
A spokesman for the airport said: “We can confirm that United Flight 1681 turned around shortly after takeoff due to a passenger disturbance. No injuries were reported.” Airport officials referred further questions to the airline and local police.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the flight returned safely after the crew reported a passenger disturbance. “The FAA will investigate,” the agency said. It also reported tracking more than 1,400 unruly passenger incidents across commercial flights in 2026.
Milne’s lawyer, James Gallo, told a judge on Tuesday, Oct. 27, that his client plans to plead not guilty. Milne is due back in court on Jan. 5, 2027, for a preliminary hearing.
