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LA-to-Shanghai United Airlines flight turns back after pilot forgets passport (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 2 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Passengers heading 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.

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

United confirmed on 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”.

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[-] [email protected] 58 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

This has to be the pilot version of that nightmare where you’re back in high school and also naked. Maybe some teeth falling out too.

Edit: based on the FlightAware log it looks like they were maybe an hour and a half out when the pilot realized they fucked up. Better than right before landing, I guess?

[-] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago

As a passenger, I'd rather land at the destination

[-] [email protected] 50 points 2 months ago

His career may survive this. But his fellow pilots and crew will never

ever

ever

forget this.

[-] [email protected] 18 points 2 months ago

They should hole punch the passport and hook it on his employee lanyard.

[-] [email protected] 10 points 2 months ago

I think they hole punch passports to indicate that they're expired

[-] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago

So you figured it out then.

[-] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago

Oh lol I guess /r/thatsthejoke

[-] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago

Doesn't that count as destruction of US property?

[-] [email protected] 17 points 2 months ago

Could he have just informed the company what had happened so they could arrange a replacement pilot for wherever he was scheduled to go next, and then just not-deplaned in Shanghai, staying with the plane until it eventually got back to the States?

[-] [email protected] 20 points 2 months ago

Most countries require flight crews to clear customs if they're on the ground for more than a certain amount of time. The only one I know off the top of my head is Canada, which requires it over 1.5 hours.

In reality, the timeline was likely 1) pilot messaged the company about the problem shortly into the flight, 2) company said "ok, keep going while we look into options, and 3) 30 minutes or an hour later they told the crew to turn around. Flight crews don't make logistical decisions in cases like this.

[-] [email protected] 11 points 2 months ago

Reminds me of a 24 hour round bus trip from the Netherlands to Paris in about 1989 when the person sitting next to me asked if you needed a passport to cross the border.

"Yes .. you need a passport .. for both borders, both ways."

"Oh. Uhm. I need to go and get it then."

30 minutes later we finally departed.

(This was before the Euro and open borders.)

[-] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

Maybe he was a time traveller

[-] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Captain Martin Creiff would have never let this happen.

this post was submitted on 25 Mar 2025

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