Flight makes U-turn to US after pilot forgets passport

Passengers headed to China aboard a recent United Airlines flight faced an unexpected travel headache after a pilot's forgotten passport prompted their return to the United States.

Flight UA198 from Los Angeles to Shanghai was out over the Pacific Ocean on Saturday afternoon when it made a u-turn and headed to San Francisco, tracking data showed.

United confirmed Tuesday to AFP in an email that the plane, a Boeing 787 with 270 people onboard, made a stop in San Francisco "as the pilot did not have their passport onboard."

"We arranged for a new crew to take our customers to their destination that evening," the company said, adding that "customers were provided with meal vouchers and compensation," without specifying.

Flight tracking data showed the plane landed at Shanghai's Pudong International Airport after midnight, about six hours behind its normal arrival time.

The United flight's rerouting came as travelers around the world continued to face disruptions over the shutdown at London's Heathrow Airport, Europe's busiest hub, due to a power outage the day prior.