‘It’s quite embarrassing’: China-bound United flight turns around after pilot forgets passport

CNN ^ | 03/25/2025 | Joyce Jiang and Aaron Cooper

[SJSAMPLE]

I was on a flight to Beijing about ten years ago. Over Siberia, about 3 hours from Beijing (on a 13 hour flight), we had to turn around because a Chinese lady tried to kill herself in the bathroom. The tried to cut herself and then tried to hang herself. Blood all over. She really, REALLY didn’t want to go home.

We landed in Alaska and I’d had enough. I took the next flight home instead of waiting another day to continue.

[SJSAMPLE]

The question is, “Do you REALLY want to know?”

I’ll sit in my seat and sleep comfortably in my ignorance.

[Gay State Conservative]

I know a bit about the Chinese mentality. I was tracked by Chinese officials during my first visit there in 1981 (long story...I wasn't arrested or anything). Yes,I've read that airlines can be fined for things like that and it's easy to imagine that he wouldn't have been allowed to just stay on the plane.

But I think my suggestion about an emergency passport would have been possible.

Just sayin'...

[Mean Daddy]

You need to understand the Chinese mentality. They are given a job to do. There is no deviation from the procedure. Thought and common sense will get them sent to the Mongolian border.

BIL used to travel to China regularly for his job and he had a laminated card that he would use to point to to get to his hotel, airport etc. and he never varied by staying within the China system. One of his co-workers from another company (Disney) decided to go outside the system and got a Chinese version of Uber where he was taken to the countryside and robbed of everything. Passport, license, CC etc. I guess Disney was able to expedite his return because of their political weight.

[AlaskaErik]

I never use my driver’s license when flying. My military ID is Real ID and my license isn’t. As for my passport and passprt card, they always stay in my carry on backpack that always goes on every trip.

[EVO X]

If you want to know about how screwed up the airline industry is, watch the podcast, pilots with 1500 hours of flight time are being hired and within 2 years they get made a Captain.

Maybe on the smaller regional jets. That is not happening on the bigger jets and especially on the heavies.

[quilterdebbie]

I totally agree!

[Vaduz]

Well back to being a bush pilot for hunters.

[Gay State Conservative]

Don’t know if it’s still true but there was a time when airline pilots started out in the Air Force or Navy.

[srmanuel]

If you listen to the podcast, it is indeed happening, in this case United Airlines, at least according to one of their pilots.

[EVO X]

I never use my driver’s license when flying. My military ID is Real ID and my license isn’t. As for my passport and passprt card, they always stay in my carry on backpack that always goes on every trip.

I was stationed in Europe back in the late 70's/early 80's. The military ID allowed travel to most NATO countries. At some point anti US military protests started to take hold a bit as well the Red Brigades kidnapping a US general. I went to the local embassy and got a passport so I didn't have to flash my military ID to travel or rent a hotel room, etc.

That said: if I have to cary a passport for travel, it goes into a pouch that I wear around my neck...

[Rappini]

I’m confused, are they saying that if the pilot landed in Shanghai without his passport the Chicoms would through him in jail?

[EVO X]

These days I think it is likely a combination of both. From what I’ve read the retired 45 year old military pilot has to start off on the ground floor at airlines. It is a union thing....