A United Airlines pilot ordered pizza for all his passengers after an emergency landing left them stranded

• A United Airlines pilot ordered pizza for over 100 passengers after an emergency landing.
• The flight from San Francisco to Houston diverted to Albuquerque due to a medical emergency.
• Airport food outlets were closed, so the pilot stepped in to make sure everyone ate.

A United Airlines pilot ordered pizza for over 100 passengers after their flight made an emergency landing.

The Boeing 737 Max was flying from San Francisco to Houston on September 13 when it diverted to Albuquerque, data from FlightAware shows.

On TikTok, passenger Tanya Stamos shared photos of the pilot at an airport gate, handing out boxes of pizza.

Stamos said that there was a medical emergency on board which saw the passengers deplaned at Albuquerque for around seven hours.

She told Fox News that the flight was delayed after the cabin crew timed out, so replacement staff were needed to continue onto Houston.

Stamos added that United Airlines gave everyone a $15 food voucher, but the airport food outlets were all closed — prompting the pilot to take matters into his own hands.

"Most organizations do not go above and beyond, but that captain did not hesitate," she told Fox News. "His display that evening is what we should have more of: selfless acts of love, compassion, and humanity."

She added that new flight attendants arrived and the plane was able to take off again at 11 p.m.

Data from FlightAware shows it landed in Houston around 1:30 a.m. local time — about six hours later than expected.

Stamos told Fox News that upon landing, the pilot thanked everyone for their patience, and several passengers shook his hand as they left.

"We love to see our pilots go above and beyond for our customers when the unexpected happens," a United spokesperson said in a statement shared with Business Insider.

"This flight diverted due to a medical concern with a passenger and we worked to get customers back on their way to Houston quickly."

Have you witnessed a similar incident? Get in touch with this reporter at psyme@businessinsider.com .