Passengers on a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai faced an unexpected detour when the plane had to turn back—because the pilot forgot their passport.
The bizarre incident happened on United Flight 198 on Saturday afternoon, with over 270 passengers and crew members onboard. The flight was already over the Pacific Ocean when it had to make a U-turn, landing in San Francisco instead of continuing to Shanghai.
According to United Airlines, the pilot did not have their passport, making it impossible for them to enter China. To resolve the situation, a new crew was arranged to take passengers to their destination later that evening.
Flight tracking data shows the plane finally arrived at Shanghai Pudong International Airport after midnight, causing a six-hour delay.
Passengers were given meal vouchers and compensation, though United did not specify the amount. While flight delays are common, forgetting a passport mid-flight is definitely one for the books!
