Airplane toilets can clog for a variety of reasons. Sometimes one lavatory will be taken out of service, sometimes multiple lavatories will have issues, and sometimes this even leads to diversions. However, a recent Philippine Airlines flight sounds absolutely disastrous, with all toilets malfunctioning, and the crew taking “matter(s)” into their own hands (literally).
At some point while over the Pacific, all 11 lavatories on the aircraft began to malfunction, became clogged, and would no longer flush. At that point the flight was far from any land, with the closest practical diversion point, Guam (GUM), still being hours away. Ultimately, the captain and operations team reportedly decided to continue the flight, which was a disaster for the crew, as you’d expect.
While airlines have procedures in place for just about any scenario, no airline protocols support this kind of a process, rather than diverting the aircraft. Obviously having flight attendant scoop waste out of the toilet raises serious concerns about sanitation, safety, and more.
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on One Mile at a Time.
