United passenger accused of hijacking threat plans to plead not guilty
A text from a passenger threatening to hijack a United Airlines flight prompted the aircraft to return to Las Vegas, where the man was arrested. His lawyer says Dante Milne, 25, plans to plead not guilty; Milne told police the message was drunken workplace banter and that he had no intention of harming anyone.
A flight attendant saw the message on another passenger’s phone and alerted the crew, who followed cockpit security procedures before the captain turned back. Milne said he had drunk beer and shots before boarding the flight to Newark, and later expressed remorse. The other 149 passengers stayed overnight in Las Vegas after the crew exceeded its operating hours; the flight left the next morning.
In short
- A threatening text prompted a United flight to return to Las Vegas.
- Dante Milne says it was banter and denies intending harm.
- The 149 other passengers departed the next morning.
Explained simply
United Airlines is a US airline, and Las Vegas and Newark are cities in the United States. Flights carry security procedures for threats to the aircraft, and crew members can alert the captain if they see something concerning.
Dante Milne is the passenger accused of sending the message, and his lawyer says he plans to plead not guilty. A not-guilty plea means he denies the charge, which would then be considered through the legal process. The incident also affected the other passengers, who had to stay overnight after the crew could no longer operate the flight.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “United passenger who spooked Las Vegas plane into turning around with hijacking text claims missive was just ‘banter between coworkers’”.