China-Bound Flight From US Makes U-Turn After Pilot Forgets Passport

Flight 198 took off from LAX at 2 pm on Saturday with 257 passengers and 13 crew members on board, travelling northwest across the Pacific Ocean to Shanghai. When the pilot realised he didn't have his passport, the aircraft turned back and eventually touched down in San Francisco at approximately 5 pm local time, according to the FlightAware website.

It departed for China again later in the evening with a fresh crew. The flight took off at 9 pm and eventually arrived in Shanghai almost six hours behind schedule.

Yang Shuhan, a passenger, told CNN that she overheard the pilot's "very frustrated voice" on the intercom admitting that he "forgot (his) passport."

United Airlines reportedly provided the more than 250 passengers on board with "meal vouchers and compensation." Yang said she was given two $30 meal tickets upon arrival in San Francisco, which she used to purchase food at a Japanese eatery at the airport.

She also submitted a compensation claim on United's website, and she was told that she would hear back from them in 14 business days.