Flight Diverted in Mid-Air: Pilot’s Forgotten Passport Causes Chaos

Flight diversions are not uncommon, ranging from mechanical issues to health emergencies among passengers. Yet, a recent flight diversion had a rather unique reason that passengers probably didn’t see coming.

A United Airlines flight had to make an unexpected return after the captain discovered he was missing his passport. This incident was confirmed by the airline to several news sources.

United Flight 198 had left Los Angeles International Airport on schedule, heading for Shanghai Pudong International Airport. But about two hours into the flight, with 257 passengers and 13 crew members aboard, the aircraft diverted to San Francisco, according to FlightAware.

Passengers were informed by the flight crew, “Your flight has been diverted to San Francisco due to an unexpected issue with a crew member that requires a change of crew. We will continue your journey to Shanghai as soon as the new crew arrives. We truly apologize for this inconvenience and thank you for your patience,” as reported by View from the Wing.

Yang Shuhan, a passenger, shared with CNN that she heard the pilot announce over the intercom, in a noticeably frustrated tone, that he had forgotten his passport. She expressed her appreciation for the pilot’s transparency.

The flight resumed after a fresh crew boarded the plane in San Francisco, although it departed six hours later than originally planned.

Post-incident, the airline provided the affected passengers with meal vouchers and compensation, as informed by the airline to the news outlet.

Regarding the compensation, Yang mentioned to the news outlet that she received two meal vouchers worth a total of $30. She also filed for additional compensation through United’s website and was told to expect a reply within 14 business days.