Man arrested after ‘hijacking’ threat forces United flight to return to Las Vegas, faces terrorism-related charges

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.

United Flight 1681 returned safely to Las Vegas after its crew learned of an alleged hijacking threat. (Unsplash)Dante Milne faces terrorism-related chargesLas 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. 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.” 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. Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk.

She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives.

She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team.

She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC).

She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh.

She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More