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Man arrested after ‘hijacking’ threat forces United flight to return to Las Vegas, faces terrorism-related charges
A 25-year-old man was arrested Saturday after United Flight 1681 returned safely to Las Vegas following a ‘hijack’ threat.
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A 25-year-old man who allegedly sent a threatening text about hijacking a passenger plane heading to New Jersey was taken into custody Saturday evening at Harry Reid International Airport once the flight made it back safely to Las Vegas.
Dante Milne faces terrorism-related charges
Las Vegas law enforcement officials said that they took the man into custody following allegations that he had made “terroristic threats” aboard a Saturday evening flight destined for Newark, New Jersey, AP reported. The man faces charges related to making a threat or communicating false information concerning a terrorist act, an offense that carries a potential prison sentence ranging from 1 to 20 years. His preliminary court hearing is scheduled to take place on Tuesday.
Federal officials said that Dante Milne was arrested after United Flight 1681 returned to Las Vegas and landed without any problems.
Air traffic control audio revealed
According to an air traffic control audio and flight tracking data, the emergency situation commenced nearly 13 minutes following the aircraft's departure from Las Vegas, at which point the pilots engaged an alternative transponder to communicate an in-flight emergency status. During air traffic control communications, a pilot responded, “The flight attendant saw a text.”
A flight attendant had notified the flight deck after seeing a passenger sending a text message to another person indicating an intention to commandeer the aircraft. The flight crew refrained from confronting the passenger throughout the flight, as per aviation specialist Reed Yadon, who explained that the pilot's strategy prioritized de-escalation and risk mitigation, as per News3lv.
According to Yadon, the directive was articulated as: “He just said, ‘Let’s do nothing, just observe.’” Yadon further emphasized that comprehensive protective measures had been implemented “to make sure that the cabin, the cabin, the the flight deck is very very secure.”
Boeing 737 returned to Las Vegas
Upon its return to Las Vegas, the flight crew encountered an additional safety concern: the aircraft's weight exceeded safe landing parameters due to insufficient fuel consumption during flight. According to air traffic control communications, the pilot sought to cancel the approach authorization, stating, "We are quite a bit overweight."
The pilot then communicated to air traffic controllers that they are significantly “overweight,” issuing a warning: “We might need the entire runway. We are quite overweight.”
Approximately 30 minutes following the commencement of the emergency situation, the Boeing 737 successfully returned to Las Vegas.
The Federal Aviation Administration has confirmed its commitment to investigating the incident. It also told AP via email that more than 1,400 cases of disruptive passenger behavior have been documented in 2026.
