Man accused of threatening to hijack United flight says it was a drunken joke

A New Jersey man, Dante Milne, is accused of sending a text threatening to hijack a United Airlines flight. He told investigators he had been drinking and described the message as poorly worded banter with a coworker. The flight crew alerted the captain, who diverted the aircraft back to Las Vegas.

• Dante Milne, 25, is accused of texting a threat to hijack United Airlines Flight 1681 from Las Vegas to Newark.
• Milne told investigators he had been drinking and described the message as “poorly worded banter between coworkers.”
• The flight was diverted back to Las Vegas after a flight attendant spotted the message.
• Milne was released on $10,000 bail and intends to plead not guilty.