A United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai was forced to turn back mid-flight last weekend after the pilot realized he had left his passport behind.
Flight UA 198 departed LAX around 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 22, but just two hours into the 13-hour journey, the plane reversed course and landed in San Francisco. A United spokesperson confirmed the diversion was due to a captain not having their passport.
Passenger Yang Shuhan recalled hearing the frustrated pilot announce over the intercom that he had forgotten his travel document. The plane landed in San Francisco around 5 p.m., where passengers received $15 meal vouchers and compensation. A new crew took over, and the flight finally departed at 9 p.m., arriving in Shanghai six hours behind schedule.
United initially informed passengers of an “unexpected crew-related issue” without mentioning the missing passport. Many travelers expressed frustration over the avoidable error, calling it “completely unacceptable.” The airline apologized and directed affected passengers to customer support.
The delay also impacted the return flight, UA 199, from Shanghai to Los Angeles. United has yet to disclose further compensation details for the inconvenience.
