Dante Milne
Introduction
Dante Milne, a 25-year-old airline passenger, was arrested on Saturday night, October 24, 2026, after his texts about hijacking his own flight forced a United Airlines jet to turn around midair and return to Las Vegas. According to a criminal complaint, Milne wrote that he was “gonna hijack this” plane and would “crash ur row only” while aboard United Flight 1681, a Boeing 737 carrying 150 passengers and six crew from Harry Reid International Airport to Newark. A flight attendant spotted the messages, the cockpit locked down, and police were waiting when the plane landed. Milne was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on a felony terrorism-related charge and later released on bond.
Background Information
Milne is a 25-year-old trainee welder and a Wood-Ridge, New Jersey, native who was flying home after a three-day Las Vegas trip for a work apprenticeship training program in underwater welding, he told detectives after his arrest, per the report. Beyond that, he had no public profile in the coverage β no social-media presence was identified in any report. He was one of 150 passengers aboard United Flight 1681, which pushed back from the gate at Harry Reid International Airport at 10:37 p.m. and took off shortly before 11 p.m. Saturday, October 24, bound for Newark Liberty International Airport. Las Vegas police identified him as the arrested passenger two days later, on Monday, October 26.
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation
Charged, not convicted. Milne faces a felony count of making threats or conveying false information of terrorism; the charge is an accusation, he has not been tried, and he is presumed innocent.
Shortly after takeoff, a flight attendant observed Milne typing references to seizing control of the aircraft. Per the criminal complaint, he communicated via his mobile device that he was “gonna hijack this” plane β using an expletive in the message β and wrote that he would “crash ur row only.” The complaint does not specify how the messages were transmitted or who was meant to receive them. Rather than approach the passenger, the crew member followed security protocol and quietly alerted the cockpit, which initiated lockdown procedures and restricted access to the flight deck. “The flight attendant saw him texting that he was going to hijack the aircraft,” the captain told air traffic controllers. “They called me. We went into lockdown, and we returned to Vegas.” The crew declared an emergency, squawking the 7700 code, and the 737 reversed course over northwestern Arizona and landed safely back at Harry Reid. Officers with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department met the aircraft and detained Milne without incident; no one was injured, and a full security inspection of the plane followed.
The fallout extended well past one passenger. Because the diversion pushed the flight crew past federally mandated operating hours, the remaining 149 travelers were stranded in Las Vegas overnight and did not reach Newark until a rescheduled departure the next morning. Under Nevada law, the felony count of conveying false information or making threats concerning an act of terrorism carries a potential prison term of one to 20 years. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed an investigation into the incident remains underway, and the agency reported it has tracked more than 1,400 unruly-passenger incidents across commercial flights in 2026.
After his arrest, Milne offered detectives an alcohol-fueled explanation, per the arrest report: he told investigators he had downed a beer and some shots at the airport bar, then fell asleep on the flight and woke to discover the plane was heading back to Las Vegas just minutes after takeoff. He initially said he had texted someone aboard but did not remember what the messages were about; when specifically asked about the hijack comment, he called it a poorly worded “banter between coworkers,” claimed he never meant to take over the plane, and said he was sorry about how things went down.
Public Reaction and Consequences
The incident became a national story as air traffic control audio and police reports circulated, with outlets replaying the captain’s calm description of the lockdown and return. Local Las Vegas coverage led with police describing “terroristic threats” made aboard the flight, and the revelation two days later that the suspect’s own texts β including the line about crashing a specific row β were now in a criminal complaint drew wide attention. United Airlines confirmed the flight “safely returned to Las Vegas to address a potential security concern,” citing crew timeout for the overnight delay. Passengers described the unexpected overnight stay, and the airport spokesman declined further comment beyond confirming no injuries.
Current Status
Milne was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on suspicion of making a threat or conveying false information of terrorism, then released on $10,000 bail. In a court appearance on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, his lawyer, James Gallo, told a judge that Milne plans to plead not guilty, and Milne is due back in court on January 5, 2027, according to a News 3 LV report cited by the Post; neither Milne nor Gallo returned requests for comment. The charge remains an unadjudicated felony accusation: he has not yet entered a plea, and he is presumed innocent. The FAA’s investigation of the incident is ongoing.
Impact on Their Career/Life
Milne faces up to 20 years in prison on a single felony count, and his name is now attached to one of the year’s most widely covered aviation-security scares β a midair turnaround that disrupted 150 people and drew federal scrutiny. Whatever the court process yields, the texting-about-hijacking facts are in a sworn criminal complaint and have been quoted in national coverage since the night of the diversion. With his not-guilty plea planned and a January 5, 2027, hearing ahead of him, the charge remains an accusation he is presumed innocent of.
Sources
- New York Post, “United passenger who forced Vegas flight to turn around over ‘hijacking threat’ has boozy explanation,” October 27, 2026 β source
- New York Post, “Chilling messages revealed in United flight hijack threat,” October 26, 2026 β source
- Casino.org, “Police Identity Passenger Arrested for Threatening to Hijack United Flight from Vegas,” October 26, 2026 β source
- KTNV (Channel 13 Las Vegas), “Police: Plane from Las Vegas turns around after passenger made ’terroristic threats’,” October 2026 β source
- KLAS 8 News Now via Yahoo News, “25-year-old man arrested for making ’terroristic threats’ on flight leaving Las Vegas airport,” October 26, 2026 β source