Suspected Terrorist Arrested After United Flight Attendant Spots Hijacking Text On Passenger’s Phone

A United Airlines flight turned around midair after a 25-year-old man made terroristic threats on his phone, according to authorities. 

United Flight 1681 took off Saturday night carrying 150 passengers and six crew members from Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, destined for Newark Liberty International Airport. As the flight was in the air, a flight attendant allegedly saw Dante Milne texting that he was going to hijack the aircraft and reported the incident to the pilots. 

The pilots told air traffic control that they handled the situation without saying anything to the passenger suspected of making the threats. 

“The passenger does not know anything is going on. The flight attendant saw him texting that he was going to hijack the aircraft. They called me. We went lock down and we returned to Vegas,” one of the pilots said.  

“So no restraint, the passenger is compliant because he’s unaware,” the pilot added.

The Boeing 737 landed safely at 11:05 p.m. on Saturday night where law enforcement was waiting at the gate at the request of the plane’s pilots. 

The Los Vegas Police Department told The Daily Wire that officers arrested Milne on charges of making threats or providing false information related to an act of terrorism. 

“On October 24, 2026, LVMPD officers responded to Harry Reid International Airport regarding a person who made terroristic threats on a flight. Because of this, the airplane turned around and landed safely back in Las Vegas. Officers detained the individual without incident,” the Las Vegas Police Department said.

Milne was booked into the Clark County Detention Center.

United Airlines declined to provide further details on what the flight attendant saw but confirmed to The Daily Wire that the flight was delayed overnight and departed for Newark the next morning. 

The FAA told The Daily Wire that its investigation remains ongoing.

“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 FAA will investigate.”