A flight departing the United States and heading for China had to make a last-minute diversion and land in San Francisco after the pilot realised they did not have their passport on the flight with them.

Unfortunately, passengers on United Airlines flight UA198 recently had to pay for the irresponsibility of a pilot who didn’t realize they’d forgotten their passport until two hours into a 13-and-a-half-hour trip from Los Angeles to Shanghai.

The approximately 300-capacity aeroplane was in the air for one hour and 45 minutes before the flight turned around over the Pacific Ocean due to a 'crew-related issue'