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.

This story was originally published March 25, 2025 at 9:56 AM with the headline "Flight to China diverts to San Francisco after pilot forgets passport, airline says."