LOS ANGELES- A United Airlines (UA) flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to Shanghai (PVG) diverted to San Francisco (SFO) on Saturday, March 22, 2025, after one of the pilots failed to bring their passport for the international journey.
Flight UA198, operating on a Boeing 777-300ER, landed at LAX where passengers received $15 meal vouchers while waiting for a replacement crew.
Photo: Cado PhotoUnited Pilot Forgets Passport
A Reddit user wrote that,
UA 198 Diverted from LAX to SFO due to the pilot forgetting his passport. The original destination is Shanghai. I had been flying for 3 hours already before being notified.
Reddit User
UA 198 Diverted from LAX to SFO due to pilot forgetting his passport
byu/squidllllles inunitedairlines
United Airlines notified affected travelers via message: “UA198 SFO-PVG: Your flight diverted to San Francisco due to an unexpected crew-related issue requiring a new crew. Once they arrive, we’ll get you back on your way to Shanghai as soon as possible. We sincerely apologize for this disruption and appreciate your patience.”
Photo: UnitedThis incident marks the second occurrence of a passport-related issue on the same route within a week. In the previous case, the problem was identified before departure, resulting in a multi-hour delay while a replacement pilot was arranged, ViewfromtheWing reported.
International flight protocols require gate agents to verify passengers’ passports alongside boarding passes before permitting aircraft entry. This verification process, however, appears inconsistently applied to flight crew members.
The financial implications of diverting a Boeing 777-300ER are substantial. Beyond passenger inconvenience, the airline faces increased crew costs and additional fuel expenses. The aircraft likely needed to dump fuel before landing in Los Angeles. The disruption also affected the return flight schedule.
ALSO READ: Delta Air Lines Seattle Stowaway Caught Again Traveling Without Ticket
Photo: By Anna Zvereva from Tallinn, Estonia – British Airways, G-ZBKP, Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=78121351Similar Incidents
Craig Sturt, a 46-year-old British passenger, successfully traveled from London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) to New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) on Christmas Eve 2023 without possessing a ticket or passport.
Authorities apprehended Sturt upon his arrival in New York and subsequently returned him to the United Kingdom via charter flight, according to the Telegraph.
Investigations revealed that the 6-foot-tall Sturt allegedly bypassed passport verification and boarding procedures for the British Airways flight by slipping behind other passengers. Heathrow officials insisted Sturt underwent mandatory security screening but failed to explain how he cleared security and customs checkpoints without proper documentation, Sky News reported.
A Heathrow spokesperson stated, “All people who go airside are subject to security screening, including the individual involved in this case.” Sturt boarded a Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Heathrow’s Terminal 5 ticketless, but Kennedy Airport’s stricter security measures led to his detention when he attempted to pass through customs without the required documents.
London police informed Sky News, “We continue to collaborate with all our partners to assess and strengthen the already robust security measures in place, which are consistently reviewed as part of the broader security partnership.”
Photo: Clément AlloingSimilar Incident with Frontier Airlines
In another case, Frontier Airlines (F9) accidentally flew a New Jersey woman to Jamaica instead of her intended destination of Jacksonville, despite her lacking a passport. The incident occurred when the passenger went to the wrong gate, the New York Post reported.
Beverly Ellis-Hebard, who regularly flies from Philadelphia to her second home in Jacksonville every six weeks, arrived at a gate labeled “PHL to JAX” for her November 6, 2022 flight. After using the restroom before boarding, she returned to find the flight nearly fully boarded and was rushed onto the plane after a gate agent verified her identity.
Once aboard, flight crew informed Ellis-Hebard that the Jacksonville flight had been reassigned to another gate and her current aircraft was bound for Jamaica. Ellis-Hebard initially thought it was a joke until she recognized the crew’s serious demeanor confirmed the mistake.
Unable to disembark in Jamaica without a passport, Ellis-Hebard remained on the jetway, which she believed constituted U.S. territory. Flight crew stayed with her until her return flight to Philadelphia departed hours later.
Ellis-Hebard also suffered a physical injury during her travel mishap when she scraped her arm while measuring her luggage in the sizer, causing bleeding. Frontier Airlines apologized for the incident, provided a refund and compensation, and addressed the issue with airport personnel.
Feature Image by Clément Alloing | Flickr
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