A 25-year-old man accused of threatening to hijack a United Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Newark has claimed the message was a drunken joke, according to investigators. Dante Milne allegedly sent a text stating, “I’m gonna hijack this b—- and crash ur row only,” to a coworker while aboard Flight 1681. A flight attendant spotted the message shortly after takeoff, prompting the captain to divert the Boeing 737, carrying 150 passengers and six crew members, back to Harry Reid International Airport. Milne reportedly told authorities he had been drinking heavily at an airport bar before boarding and that the text was “poorly worded banter” he didn’t think anyone would see. He stated he fell asleep during the flight and was unaware of the diversion until returning to Las Vegas, apologizing for the incident and asserting he had no intention of actually hijacking the plane. The flight was delayed overnight, with the crew reaching their duty hour limits, before departing the next morning. Milne was charged with making threats or conveying false information concerning an act of terrorism and has since been released on $10,000 bail, with his attorney indicating an intent to plead not guilty.
Adapted from: U.S. News Today on Fox News
