A 25-year-old passenger on a New Jersey-bound United Airlines flight from Las Vegas was arrested after a flight attendant caught him texting about hijacking the plane.
The incident happened on Saturday (October 24) night. The suspect was identified as 25-year-old Dane Milne by the Las Vegas Metro Police Department (LVMPD) on Monday.
The United Airlines 1681 flight was turned around mid-air and landed back at Harry Reid International Airport around 11:42pm PDT after taking off around 10:52pm PDT.
Reports on the diversion Saturday noted that the flight attendant noticed Milne texting about hijacking the plane shortly after the Boeing 737 MAX 8 took off with 150 passengers. The attendant informed the cockpit and the security procedures started. It was initially described as a “potential security concern.”
The plane descended from around 24,000 feet over Arizona back to Nevada. According to ATC audio, as the plane descended, Milne was not aware “anything is going on.” “The flight attendant saw him texting that he was going to hijack the plane,” the pilot said to the controller.
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An emergency responder code was activated, and the plane returned to Las Vegas in the next 40 minutes. LVMPD deputies were waiting at the airport, and Dane Milne was arrested from inside the plane without any incident. All the passengers and crew were safe, and the plane departed for Newark Liberty International Airport on Sunday morning.
What we know about Dane Milne
According to the Las Vegas Police Department, 25-year-old Dane Milne was detained in the Clark County Detention Center. He was later released on a $10,000 bond with a court appearance scheduled for Tuesday. It is unclear if he has an attorney.
“United Airlines Flight 1681 returned safely to Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas around 11:05 p.m. local time on Saturday, Oct. 24, after the crew reported a passenger disturbance,” the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.
FAA is still investigating the incident.
