United hijack-text arrest

True crime · Heat 7.9 / 10 · 2 shows · 4m airtime

On October 24, a 25-year-old trainee welder was arrested after allegedly texting a hijacking threat aboard a United Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Newark. A flight attendant saw the message and the plane returned to Las Vegas while the passenger slept. Milne has since been charged with making threats or conveying false information concerning an act of terrorism and released on bail. Coverage still treats the case as a joke that should not have turned the plane around, and the discussion has not moved past that framing.

How 2 podcasts covered it

1. Adam Carolla Show, 2026-10-29 (1:38:30 to 1:40:38)
   Reports arrest over hijack-threat text
   Reports the arrest of a 25-year-old trainee welder who allegedly texted a hijack threat to a friend aboard a Las Vegas-to-Newark United flight, forcing the plane back to Vegas while he slept. The reaction is that it was a joke and the flight should have continued.
   New angle: A passenger was arrested after a flight attendant saw his hijack-threat text and the plane returned to Las Vegas.
2. The Megyn Kelly Show, 2026-10-29 (14:19 to 16:23)
   Recounts the arrest report and control audio
   Recounts the arrest report and air traffic control audio: the drunken text, the flight attendant who spotted it, the 15-minute turnaround, and Milne asleep and compliant through his own arrest. Ends on the January 5 court date.
   New angle: Milne was charged with making threats or conveying false information concerning an act of terrorism and released on bail.