Passenger Blames Alcohol for Flight Diversion Threat
A United Airlines passenger claimed drunken banter caused a flight to return to Las Vegas after a ‘hijacking threat’ text.
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A United Airlines passenger who allegedly caused a Newark-bound flight to return to Las Vegas after sending a ‘hijacking threat’ text has blamed the incident on alcohol, claiming his remarks were drunken banter. Dante Milne, a 25-year-old from New Jersey, sent the message while aboard a flight from Las Vegas to Newark over the weekend, according to a criminal complaint obtained by the New York Post.
Text Led to Flight Diversion
A flight attendant reported seeing a passenger receive a text with the words ‘I’m gonna hijack,’ and later identified Milne as the sender after checking seating assignments, as per a report by News 3 LV. The message, which included the phrase ‘I’m gonna hijack this bitch and crash ur row only,’ was described as a first-person declaration of intended violence involving hijacking the aircraft and crashing the recipient’s row. Both individuals mentioned in the communication were passengers aboard the aircraft.
Flight Returns to Las Vegas
Upon receiving the text, the flight attendant alerted the captain, leading to a lockdown and the decision to return the Boeing 737 to Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. The flight, carrying 150 passengers and six crew members, was just 15 minutes into its journey when it turned back. Milne, who was on his way home after a three-day Las Vegas trip for a work apprenticeship training program for underwater welding, was arrested on the tarmac after deplaning.
Alcohol and Joking Claims
Milne told authorities he was drunk and joking around with a friend in another seat. He claimed he had downed a beer and some shots at the airport bar before boarding, planning to sleep during the flight. After dozing off, he was awakened and informed the flight was returning to Las Vegas. Milne insisted the text was simply badly worded ‘banter between coworkers’ and apologized for how the situation unfolded.
Legal Consequences
Milne was charged with one count of making threats or conveying false information concerning an act of terrorism. He was released from Clark County Detention Center on $10,000 or $20,000 bail. His lawyer, James Gallo, told a judge that his client planned to plead not guilty, with a next court appearance scheduled for January 5.
Source: Breitbart
