United Airlines Flight Makes U-turn To US After Pilot Forgets Passport

TUESDAY March 25, 2025 |
By thenewsdesk.ng

Passengers headed to China aboard a recent United Airlines flight faced an unexpected travel headache after a pilot’s forgotten passport prompted their return to the United States, AFP says.

Flight UA198 from Los Angeles to Shanghai was out over the Pacific Ocean on Saturday afternoon when it made a u-turn and headed to San Francisco, tracking data showed.

United confirmed Tuesday to AFP in an email that the plane, a Boeing 787 with 270 people onboard, made a stop in San Francisco “as the pilot did not have their passport onboard.”

“We arranged for a new crew to take our customers to their destination that evening,” the company said, adding that “customers were provided with meal vouchers and compensation,” without specifying.