A passenger arrested for texting that he was going to “hijack” the plane he was on told officers the message was banter with a co-worker and denied intending to harm anyone, according to a police report. The United plane headed to Newark, New Jersey, was diverted back to Las Vegas shortly after takeoff Saturday night after a flight attendant spotted the text, and Dante Milne, 25, was taken into custody.
Milne was charged with making a threat or offering false information in reference to an act of terrorism. His attorney, James Gallo, told The Associated Press that Milne plans to plead not guilty.
The flight attendant told Las Vegas police she had first noticed two passengers exchanging text messages during boarding that included derogatory remarks about other passengers and attendants. She later saw an incoming message that began with “I'm gonna hijack,” and she notified the lead flight attendant, according to the police report. The sender was later identified as Milne.
Police said the full message read: “I’m gonna hijack this” plane — although he used an expletive instead of plane — “and crash ur row only.” Once the aircraft passed 10,000 feet (3,050 meters), the captain was notified, consistent with sterile flight deck procedures.
The pilot can be heard telling an air traffic controller that a flight attendant reported the text message, so they proceeded to return to Las Vegas, according to a recording posted on the ATC app.
Milne, a resident of Woodridge, New Jersey, told officers he was in Las Vegas for a three-day apprenticeship training program associated with his work as an underwater welder. He said he consumed beer and shots at an airport bar and intended to sleep during the flight. He said he was asleep on the flight when he woke up and learned the flight was returning to Las Vegas.
Milne acknowledged exchanging texts with the other passenger, who he'd met at the training program, but initially said he couldn't recall the content. When questioned about the reported hijacking message, Milne characterized the wording as poorly stated and suggested the conversation involved banter between coworkers. Milne denied intending to hijack the aircraft, crash it, or harm anyone.
Incidents involving passengers making jokes about bombs or hijackings have led to arrests and flight diversions in the past. Airline sensitivity to such threats is heightened, particularly after a recent incident where a co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain and attempted to crash a FlyDubai flight.