Pilot made U-turn two hours into 13-hour flight after they realized they forgot extremely important item
A United Airlines pilot had to make an embarrassing U-turn two hours into what was supposed to be a 13-hour flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai – all because he forgot his passport.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, carrying 257 passengers and 13 crew members, was already over the Pacific Ocean when the realization struck, forcing the humiliating return to U.S. airspace.
Passengers described hearing the captain’s frustrated voice over the intercom explaining the situation. Chinese traveler Yang Shuhan told CNN the pilot sounded genuinely upset as he admitted his mistake, with some passengers appreciating his honesty while others were left “speechless” at the absurdity of the situation.
The plane ultimately landed in San Francisco around 5pm local time, three hours after takeoff.
United Airlines scrambled to mitigate the fallout, providing affected travelers with $30 meal vouchers and arranging a replacement crew for the delayed onward journey. The debacle caused ripple effects, delaying the return flight from Shanghai to LA as well.
While the airline apologized for the “unexpected travel disruption,” the incident has sparked both amusement and outrage online, with many questioning how such a basic oversight could occur for an international flight crew member.
The replacement flight eventually departed around 9pm, arriving in Shanghai nearly six hours behind schedule.
