While air travel is typically smooth, unexpected events can suddenly disrupt journeys, causing major delays for everyone. Recent incidents highlight how quickly a routine trip can go awry due to passenger conduct or, surprisingly, crew errors.
One such incident recently impacted a United Airlines flight headed from San Francisco all the way to Taipei, Taiwan. The journey was hours underway when the flight had to pivot and return to its origin. The reason? A spokesperson for the airline confirmed it was due to a “disruptive passenger.”
At San Francisco International Airport, law enforcement met the returning aircraft to escort a passenger off. United confirmed the flight, which had reversed course less than two hours after takeoff, eventually departed for Taipei later that Thursday evening.
While unruly passenger incidents have decreased significantly from 2021’s record highs, they still occur. The FAA reported a drop of over 80%, with 2,455 reports in 2022 compared to 5,973 the previous year, and 1,034 as of July 16 this year.
A different dramatic turning point occurred on an American Airlines flight bound for Milan from New York. This flight was hours into its transatlantic journey before it was compelled to head back to John F. Kennedy International Airport. Multiple reports suggest this diversion stemmed from a passenger who was described as “wilding over a meal preference and his seating,” escalating to the point of disrupting the entire flight.
An American Airlines flight from JFK to its origin city rerouted back to New York about four hours into its journey, landing around 3 a.m. The passenger involved was escorted off and later released without charges, as reported by CBS News.
Passengers aboard this flight shared their unsettling experiences. Krystie Tomlinson, one traveler, claimed that flight officials began inquiring about law enforcement presence after realizing they couldn’t locate an air marshal on board. She recounted the passenger’s actions, stating he was “charging at the stewardesses” in the back and at one point “tried to barge into the pilot’s cabin.”
According to Tomlinson, the disruption stemmed from a denied meal request and being unable to switch to an exit row due to having a baby, apparently pushing the passenger over the edge.
Another passenger, Michael Scigliano, added to the description of the scene. He mentioned that flight officials initially announced the issue as technical, which he found “even scarier” at the time. Scigliano expressed concern about the passenger’s state and location during the flight back, noting the man was “still in the back of the plane unprotected, unrestrained,” which felt particularly risky considering there was no air marshal and “a plane full of 300 people.”
Following the unexpected return to JFK, passengers were forced to spend the night at the airport. Their rebooked flights were scheduled for 11 a.m. the following day, approximately 16 hours after their original departure. American Airlines addressed the incident with a statement, saying, “American Airlines flight 198 with service from New York (JFK) to Milan (MXP) returned to JFK due to a disruptive passenger.” The airline added, “The safety and security of our customers and team members is our top priority and we thank our customers for their understanding.”
However, the experience didn’t end smoothly for all passengers. Michael Scigliano claimed American Airlines offered them “nothing” for their overnight stay. Krystie Tomlinson reportedly requested to use the American Airlines lounge to breastfeed her child and was told she would need to pay a $79 fee.
While unruly passengers represent one category of mid-flight disruption, another recent incident on a United flight offered a different, perhaps even more head-scratching, reason for an unexpected U-turn. A flight departing Los Angeles, California, bound for Shanghai, China, with 257 passengers and 13 crew members aboard on March 22, had to turn back after just two hours into its long journey over the Pacific Ocean.
The shocking reason for the diversion? One of the pilots had forgotten his passport, forcing a United Boeing 787-9 to land in San Francisco, as confirmed by a United spokesperson, with flight trackers showing the plane turning back towards California.
Passenger Yang Shuhan heard the pilot announce he had “forgot (his) passport” with frustration, while United informed passengers of a diversion due to an “unexpected crew-related issue requiring a new crew,” omitting the passport detail.
The pilot’s mistake drew criticism online, with one user questioning on Rednote, “How could someone mess up this badly at work?” while another tweeted to United, “UA198 diverted to SFO because the pilot forgot his passport? Now stuck 6+ hours. Completely unacceptable.”
United apologized for the “unexpected travel disruption” and directed the frustrated passenger to their Agent On Demand team. Upon landing in San Francisco, passengers received $15 meal vouchers and unspecified “compensation” before the flight finally departed at 9 p.m., arriving in Shanghai about six hours late.
This pilot’s oversight also affected the return flight, UA199, from Shanghai to Los Angeles, causing a six-hour delay for a business traveler who lamented, “reschedule all my plans for Monday, which is really inconvenient.”
Shukor Yusof, founder of Endau Analytics, an aviation advisory company, commented on the passport incident, calling it “embarrassing” and “unacceptable” for a major global airline like United. He added that it “shows a lack of discipline.” These recent events, spanning both disruptive passenger behavior and crew errors, highlight the unpredictable nature of air travel and the significant consequences that can arise when things don’t go according to plan, reminding us that even with the best preparations, airborne journeys can take surprising turns.
