Chilling new details have emerged in a terrifying midair security crisis that prompted a United Airlines pilot to place a Newark-bound flight on immediate lockdown over the weekend, after a passenger was caught sending explicit messages threatening an act of terrorism.
According to a criminal complaint, 25-year-old Dante Milne communicated via his mobile device that he was “gonna hijack this” plane—using an expletive in the message—and wrote that he would “crash ur row only.”
The complaint does not specify how the message was transmitted or who was intended to receive it.
Milne was arrested and booked into the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas on felony charges of making threats or conveying false information regarding an act of terrorism.
Court records show Milne subsequently posted a $10,000 bond and was released pending a scheduled court appearance on Tuesday.
The security alert unfolded Saturday night aboard United Airlines Flight 1681, a Boeing 737 carrying 150 passengers and six crew members from Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas to Newark Liberty International Airport.
Shortly after takeoff, a flight attendant observed Milne typing references to seizing control of the aircraft. Rather than approach the passenger directly, the crew member adhered to security protocol and immediately notified the cockpit.
The flight deck promptly initiated lockdown procedures.
Air traffic control audio recordings captured the pilot briefing controllers on the situation while reversing course back toward Las Vegas.
“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 captain said.
Asked by air traffic controllers whether the suspect had been restrained by cabin crew, the pilot said Milne was not restrained because he was unaware that crew members had seen the messages.
Flight-tracking data shows the aircraft was airborne for less than an hour, landing safely back at Harry Reid International Airport at approximately 11:05 p.m. local time.
Officers with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department met the aircraft on the tarmac and detained Milne without incident. All passengers were evacuated, and law enforcement conducted a comprehensive security inspection of the Boeing 737. No injuries were reported.
Because the diversion caused the flight crew to exceed their federally mandated operating hours, the remaining 149 passengers were forced to stay in Las Vegas overnight before departing on a rescheduled flight to Newark on Sunday morning.
Under Nevada statute, the felony charge 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 is underway. The agency reported it has tracked more than 1,400 unruly passenger incidents across commercial flights in 2026.
