Pilot Makes Mid-Air U-Turn Two Hours into 13-Hour Flight: The Reason Will Leave You Shaking Your Head

Two hours into the 13-hour flight, the pilot had a sudden realization—without his passport, he wouldn’t be able to enter China.

The 257 passengers aboard United Airlines Flight UA 198, flying from Los Angeles to Shanghai, were in for a shock when their journey was unexpectedly cut short.

But this wasn’t due to a mechanical issue, poor weather, or an emergency. The cause? The pilot forgot his passport.

The Mid-Air Realization

Two hours into the 13-hour flight, the pilot had a sudden realization—without his passport, he wouldn’t be able to enter China. Faced with this predicament, the only solution was to turn the plane around. However, instead of returning to LAX, the plane made its way back to San Francisco.

Flight tracking service FlightAware confirmed that the plane landed in San Francisco around 5 p.m. local time, leaving passengers stunned and perplexed by the bizarre situation.

Passenger Reactions: From Amusement to Outrage

Chinese passenger Yang Shuhan, who was onboard, described the pilot’s announcement as one filled with frustration. Speaking to CNN, she recalled that he sounded quite upset when informing passengers of the error.

While some found the situation odd but amusing, others were less than thrilled. Social media erupted with reactions, especially on China’s Instagram-like platform, RedNote. One user wrote, “I thought only travelers made this mistake, not the one actually flying the plane!” 

United Airlines Responds

In an official statement, United Airlines confirmed the reason for the flight disruption: “The pilot did not have his passport onboard.” The airline quickly organized a new crew and rescheduled the flight to Shanghai later that evening. As a gesture of goodwill, passengers were given meal vouchers and compensation for the inconvenience.

The Ripple Effect of a Forgotten Passport

While the passengers aboard Flight UA 198 dealt with the delays, the situation caused further disruptions for travelers in Shanghai. Their return flight to Los Angeles was also delayed, creating a chain reaction of travel chaos.

Ultimately, the rescheduled flight departed around 9 p.m. local time and landed in Shanghai about six hours later than planned.

A Lesson in Travel Essentials—Even for Pilots

Forgetting a passport is a classic travel blunder, but it’s usually passengers, not pilots, who make such a mistake. While some appreciated the pilot’s honesty in admitting the error, many couldn’t help but wonder how such an oversight could occur during an international flight.