Flight to China diverts to San Francisco after pilot forgets passport, airline says
A pilot’s forgotten passport forced a United Airlines flight bound for China to land in San Francisco, airline officials reported.
FlightAware data shows Flight 198 to Shanghai took off from Los Angeles on time just before 2 p.m. Saturday, March 22, but unexpectedly diverted to San Francisco, landing at 5:05 p.m.
The flight was redirected because the “pilot did not have their passport onboard,” United Airlines said in a statement to McClatchy News.
A new crew flew the plane to Shanghai, the airline said. Passengers received meal vouchers and compensation.
The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner arrived in Shanghai after midnight on Sunday, March 23, FlightAware showed.
The flight had 257 passengers and 13 crew members aboard, NBC News reported.