United Airlines Flight Forced to Turn Around After Pilot Forgets Passport

A United Airlines flight traveling from Los Angeles to Shanghai had to turn back mid-flight because one of the pilots forgot their passport.

Flight UA 198, carrying 257 passengers and 13 crew members, departed LAX on last Saturday (March 22) but redirected about two hours later to San Francisco, per data from FlightAware.

“The pilot did not have their passport onboard,” United said in a statement to CNN. “We arranged for a new crew to take our customers to their destination that evening. Customers were provided with meal vouchers and compensation.”

One passenger, Yang Shuhan, described hearing the pilot’s “very frustrated voice” make an announcement about the forgotten passport over the intercom. 

She told CNN she received two meal vouchers totaling $30 and filed a compensation claim on United’s website, where she was told to expect a response within 14 business days. 

Despite the wrench in her plans, Shuhan said she appreciated the pilot’s “honesty.”

Shuhan, who comes from Hangzhou in eastern China, also told the news network she on her way back from a business trip. After reaching Shanghai at 12:43 a.m. on Monday, she still had a two hour drive home which left her exhausted.

Aviation analyst Shukor Yusof also criticized the incident to CNN, calling the mistake “unacceptable” and “a lack of discipline.”