Aircraft bound for China returns to the US after pilot forgets passport
A passenger plane departing from the US to China had to return over the Pacific Ocean due to the pilot forgetting his passport.
The pilot of a United Airlines passenger plane realized he had forgotten his passport while flying from Los Angeles, USA, to Shanghai, China, on March 22nd. Upon this discovery, the pilot turned the plane back and landed in San Francisco, USA.
US media reported that the plane, carrying 257 passengers and 13 crew members, landed in San Francisco 2 hours after takeoff.
“PASSENGERS RECEIVED MEAL VOUCHERS AND COMPENSATION”
An announcement by United Airlines stated, “The pilot had forgotten his passport. We arranged for a new crew that same night to transport our passengers to their destination country. Passengers were given meal vouchers and compensation.”
The aircraft took off with the new crew and arrived in Shanghai approximately 6 hours later than scheduled. Chinese passenger Yang Shuhan, who was on board, stated in an interview with US media that he heard the pilot announce over the intercom in a very nervous tone, “I forgot my passport.”
Experts labeled the incident as embarrassing, deeming such a mistake by a global airline like United Airlines as “unacceptable” and reflecting a “lack of discipline.” They also noted that considering the costs of jet fuel for the diverted destination and compensation for passengers, the airline could face significant financial consequences due to this error.
