The Boeing 787 operating as Flight UA198 from Los Angeles to Shanghai was already hours into its journey Saturday when it abruptly turned around near Hawaii, flight tracking data showed. The plane diverted to San Francisco, where it landed with 270 frustrated passengers onboard.
United Airlines confirmed the incident to AFP, stating the return trip was necessary "as the pilot did not have their passport onboard." The airline scrambled to arrange a replacement crew, eventually getting passengers back in the air later that evening with meal vouchers and unspecified compensation.
The cascading delays meant the flight didn't arrive at Shanghai Pudong International Airport until after midnight - nearly six hours behind schedule. Aviation experts noted that while such documentation oversights are rare, they can trigger major disruptions since international flight crews must present passports upon arrival.
The incident compounded travel headaches globally, coming just as London's Heathrow Airport - Europe's busiest hub - was recovering from a power outage that had stranded thousands of passengers the previous day. The back-to-back disruptions highlighted the fragile nature of modern air travel systems, where a single oversight or technical glitch can ripple across continents.
United declined to comment on whether the passport-forgetting pilot faced disciplinary action, only reiterating their commitment to "getting customers to their destinations safely." Aviation regulators typically require airlines to report such operational lapses, which could prompt additional crew training protocols.