Pilot forgets passport, forcing flight from LA to Shanghai to turn back

A United Airlines jetliner | FILE PHOTO/Associated Presss

A United Airlines plane that left the United States for China on the weekend had to make an unexpected diversion because the pilot forgot to bring his passport.

Flight UA198, with 257 passengers and 13 crew members on board, departed Los Angeles on March 22 at 2pm local time for a 13½-hour flight to Shanghai.

Nearly two hours into the flight, however, the Boeing 787-9 had to turn around and land at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) because the pilot “did not have their passport onboard”, said a United spokesperson in a statement.

READ: Pilot lands aircraft at wrong airport after duty hours end mid-flight

Data from flight tracking website Flightradar24 showed the plane flying out of Los Angeles over the Pacific Ocean before turning back and returning to California.

Following the incident, passenger Paramjot Singh Kalra posted on X: “UA198 diverted to SFO because the pilot forgot his passport? Now stuck 6+ hours. Completely unacceptable. @united, what compensation are you offering for this total mishandling?”

The airline replied with an apology for the “unexpected travel disruption” and offered the passenger assistance with an agent.

READ: Registration mistake turned back New Zealand flight to China

The United spokesperson said the airline had arranged for a new crew to fly the affected passengers to their destination on the evening of March 22.

Passengers were also provided with meal vouchers and compensation.

The new crew took off at 9pm and landed in Shanghai about six hours behind schedule, according to CNN.