A United Airlines flight had to make an unexpected return two hours into its 13-hour journey when the pilot realized he had left behind a crucial item.
This isn’t a scenario like the film Home Alone where a child is forgotten.
For Flight UA 198, scheduled to fly from Los Angeles to China, the forgotten item was almost as significant as a family member.
The incident occurred on the United Airlines flight which took off from LAX airport at approximately 2pm on March 22. Passengers, numbering 257 along with 13 crew members, had settled in for the lengthy journey.
Though the destination was Shanghai, the passengers barely had time to start an in-flight movie before the aircraft had to make a U-turn.
FlightAware reported that the aircraft redirected towards San Francisco shortly after takeoff and touched down around 5pm local time.
Consider the essential items for international travel—wallet, keys, phone… and passport?
While a driver’s license is insufficient for international travel, the passport was the critical item the pilot failed to bring.
United Airlines addressed the incident with the statement: “The pilot did not have their passport onboard.”
Yang Shuhan, a passenger from China on Flight UA 198, told CNN the pilot sounded ‘very frustrated’ as he informed passengers he had ‘forgotten’ his passport.
Shuhan acknowledged the pilot’s ‘honesty’, although some passengers felt differently.
Comments on RedNote, a platform similar to Instagram in China, showed that some were ‘speechless’ about the incident.
United Airlines responded to social media complaints by stating it ‘sincerely apologize[d] for this unexpected travel disruption’.
The airline also mentioned in its statement that passengers received meal vouchers and compensation due to the mishap. Yang shared with CNN that she obtained two meal vouchers worth $30, which she used at the airport.
Yang also submitted a compensation claim on United’s website and anticipates a response within 14 business days.
“We arranged for a new crew to take our customers to their destination that evening,” United stated.
The replacement flight departed at about 9pm local time, reaching Shanghai roughly six hours later than initially planned.
Due to the disruption, passengers in Shanghai waiting to take the return flight to LA experienced delays as well.