United Airlines flight from LA to Shanghai forced to turn back after pilot forgets passport

United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai was forced to turn around two hours into its journey after a pilot forgot their passport. The flight had to be diverted to San Francisco due to the issue. This caused significant delays for the passengers.

As per reports, the flight UA 198 departed from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Saturday, March 22 at around 2 pm local time. The flight was bound for China’s largest city. However, mid-flight it was discovered that one of the pilots did not have their passport, which would make it impossible for the plane to enter China.

A People report stated that the aircraft was then diverted to San Francisco, where it landed at 5:05 pm (local time).

United Airlines confirms incident

The airlines confirmed the incident. In their statement to CNN, United Airlines said that since the pilot did not have their passport, they arranged for a new crew to take the passengers to their destination. They added that the customers were provided with meal vouchers and compensation.

Passenger frustration

The passengers were given a meal voucher totalling $30 after landing in San Francisco. However, many expressed frustration over the situation. One of the passengers aboard the flight told CNN that she heard the pilot’s ‘very frustrated’ voice over the intercom. The pilot admitted that he had forgotten his passport.

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The passenger—Yang Shuhan—told CNN that she ultimately reached Shanghai at 12.43 am on Monday, March 24—six hours later than scheduled. She added that this delay disrupted her plans since she still had a two-and-a-half-hour drive ahead of her after landing.

As per the reports, passengers on a Chinese social media platform also expressed frustrations over