United Airlines Flight Immediately Turns Around After Flight Attendant Spots Passenger's Concerning Text Message
A United Airlines flight was forced to turn back to Las Vegas Saturday after a flight attendant said they noticed a passenger texting about hijacking the plane.
The attendant allegedly saw the passenger “texting that he was going to hijack the aircraft,” People Magazine reported.
United Airlines flight 1681 initially left Las Vegas around 11 p.m. local time on Saturday and was slated to land at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey five hours later.
Flight records revealed the aircraft turned around only 20 minutes after takeoff.
CBS News obtained an air traffic control audio recording in which a Las Vegas controller asks the pilot if the suspect was “compliant or restrained.”
“The passenger does not know anything is going on,” the pilot said.
“The flight attendant saw him texting that he was going to hijack the aircraft and called me, and we went lockdown,” he explained. “No restraint, passenger is compliant because he’s unaware.”
A representative for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said that law enforcement arrested Dante Milne, 25, on suspicion of “making threats or conveying false information concerning acts of terrorism.”
“LVMPD officers responded to Harry Reid International Airport regarding a person who made terroristic threats on a flight,” police said Monday. “Because of this, the airplane turned around and landed safely back in Las Vegas. Officers detained the individual without incident.”
He was later booked in the Clark County Detention Center.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a statement saying that the flight was able to safely return to Las Vegas following the “passenger disturbance,” and no injuries were sustained by either the passengers or crew.
The agency added that it will be conducting a full investigation into the matter.
United Airlines stated that the flight was diverted to “address a potential safety concern” and was delayed overnight, finally leaving on Sunday morning.
The plane had 150 passengers and six crew members on board.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal noted that Milne posted a surety bond and is set to appear in court Tuesday.
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