United Flight Returns to Las Vegas After Hijacking Text

United Flight 1681 returned safely to Las Vegas after a flight attendant reported an alleged hijacking text, and passenger Dante Milne was arrested and charged with a terrorism-related offense. Milne has denied intending to take control of the aircraft or harm anyone, and his case has not been resolved in court. The flight was traveling from Harry Reid International Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport when the crew turned back shortly after takeoff. The Federal Aviation Administration said the aircraft returned safely after the crew reported a passenger disturbance and that it would investigate. The flight carried 150 passengers and six crew members, according to reports. According to a police report, a flight attendant noticed messages between two passengers and later saw one that began with a reference to hijacking. She alerted the lead flight attendant, and the captain was notified after the aircraft passed 10,000 feet. The plane returned to Las Vegas, where police took Milne into custody. The FAA and police-report accounts describe the return and the alleged text; the precise context and Milne’s intent remain matters for the legal process. Milne, 25, told...