United Flight 1681 Turns Back to Las Vegas Over Threat

United flight 1681 returns to Las Vegas after passenger allegedly wrote he would 'hijack' the plane

By Trend Desk · Mon, Oct 26, 2026, 6:37 PM ET · 3 min read

Illustration of a passenger jet parked at a desert airport gate at night under bright apron lights

Illustration (AI-generated)

A United Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Newark turned around about an hour after takeoff Saturday night, Oct. 24, after a passenger allegedly wrote a message saying he was going to “hijack” the plane, according to the Associated Press. Police arrested a 25-year-old man, and no injuries were reported.

What happened on United flight 1681

United flight 1681, a Boeing 737 with 150 passengers and six crew members, left Harry Reid International Airport at roughly 10:30 to 10:40 p.m. local time for the roughly five-hour trip to Newark Liberty International Airport, USA Today and the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. FlightAware data cited by the Review-Journal showed the jet had just crossed into Arizona before looping back to Las Vegas.

United said in a statement that the flight returned safely “to address a potential security concern.” A Harry Reid airport spokesperson told the Review-Journal the plane turned around because of a “passenger disturbance.”

According to the AP, the passenger allegedly communicated that he was “gonna hijack this” plane. The AP headline quotes another line from the message: “crash ur row only.”

Who was arrested

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said officers responded to “a person who made terroristic threats on a flight,” USA Today reported. Police identified the suspect as 25-year-old Dante Milne and said he was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on terrorism-related charges.

FOX5 Las Vegas reported that court records show Milne posted bond on $10,000 bail and is due in court on Tuesday, Oct. 27. The charges are allegations, and he has not been convicted of any crime. It was not clear from the reporting whether he has an attorney who could comment.

Delays for passengers

The trip turned into a long night. United said the flight “was delayed overnight due to crew timeout” and left for Newark the next morning. FlightAware showed the flight left the gate just after 7 a.m. Sunday, per the Review-Journal, and USA Today reported passengers reached Newark nearly nine hours after their scheduled arrival.

Time (local)	Event
Sat., about 10:30-10:40 p.m.	Flight 1681 departs Las Vegas for Newark
About an hour later	Jet returns to Las Vegas over a security concern
Overnight	Flight delayed as crew reaches duty limits
Sun., just after 7 a.m.	Flight departs again for Newark
Tue., Oct. 27	Suspect’s scheduled court date

What the FAA said

The Federal Aviation Administration said in a preliminary statement that the flight returned safely and that it will investigate, according to FOX5.

Why the story drew wide attention

Threats made in the air, even in a text message, are treated as serious security incidents. The case drew wide attention because of the alleged wording of the message and because a full planeload of travelers lost a night to the turnaround.

FAQ

What happened to United flight 1681?

The Las Vegas-to-Newark flight returned to Las Vegas about an hour after takeoff on Oct. 24 over a potential security concern involving a passenger.

Was anyone hurt?

No injuries were reported among the 150 passengers and six crew members.

Who was arrested?

Police said 25-year-old Dante Milne was arrested on terrorism-related charges. He posted bond and is due in court Oct. 27, per FOX5.

Did the passengers get to Newark?

Yes. The flight left the next morning and arrived nearly nine hours late, USA Today reported.