United passenger who forced Newark-bound flight to return to Vegas over ‘hijacking threat’ has boozy explanation

Source: New York Post

A United Airlines passenger accused of grounding his plane home to New Jersey after a flight attendant saw him texting about alleged hijacking plans told cops he was just drunk and joking around with a friend in another seat. Dante Milne, 25, a trainee welder, was arrested over the weekend for allegedly sending a text, saying, “I’m gonna hijack this bitch and crash ur row only,” while aboard a United Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Newark Saturday, according to a criminal complaint. After his arrest, the Wood-Ridge, New Jersey-native told investigators he’d downed a beer and some shots at the airport bar.