Inoperable Lavatory - Page 2

taildragger173 · February 4th, 2006, 02:37

I'd take a vote with the passengers. If most of them want to go, then we go. If most dont want to, we dont go.

skywestseth · February 4th, 2006, 18:54

Well...you bring up a good point...

EVERYONE LOVES OPTIONS!!!

i can hear it now....

Ladies and Gentleman please raise your hand if you

don't have to go and want to go...or have to go and don't want to go?

CFIse · February 5th, 2006, 04:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by taildragger173

I'd take a vote with the passengers. If most of them want to go, then we go. If most dont want to, we dont go.

Yeh we do it that way all the time. We had a left engine fail once, took a vote, most people thought we should go back to the airport so we did.

Kingairer · February 6th, 2006, 00:35

Thats what I always do...Engine Fire #1...who things we should let it burn...all in Favor...

CFIse · February 6th, 2006, 08:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kingairer

Thats what I always do...Engine Fire #1...who things we should let it burn...all in Favor...

Oh come on - now I know you're making it up. Anything as important as an engine fire HAS to be a paper ballot - you can't make critical flight decisions like that on a voice vote...... :-)

SeanD · February 6th, 2006, 19:34

Why not just make announcement on the pa " Folks the lav is broken so if you have to go to the bathroom please use the terminal restroom at this time, we will give you 5 min, thank you."

Seggy · February 11th, 2006, 20:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrLeisure757

While working at the Vineyard Airport this summer, a Saab 340 came in from LGA with police waiting on the ground. Turns out, the Lavatory was inop. and a man had decided to take a leak in the aisle when told it was broken. He was in a wee bit of trouble.

As the 'flight attendant' I have had a man piss in my empty water bottle in front of 18 other people on a flight from LGA-MHT. Happens about once every two months we get a tap on the shoulder.... "were is the bathroom on this plane?"

desertdog71 · February 12th, 2006, 15:18

Speaking from my trucker background. I say supply a few empty Gatorade bottles, and also a 5 gallon bucket with a supply of trashliners if someone needs to drop a duece. But thats just me.

Sig · February 13th, 2006, 20:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by TonyC

So, pull the breaker until someone needs to use it, then reset for 15 seconds, and pull it again.

LATHER, RINSE, REPEAT.

Ding!

Why is this such a hard scenario? Happened twice to me this year.

Brazilian_Pilot · March 7th, 2006, 14:12

I'd just let passengers crap and piss on the seats. So that the next set of passangers can bitch and moan about how dirty the plane is even though they only paid 69.99 for a roundtrip ticket to florida and the airline is probably on the verge of bankrupcy and cant even afford to maintain the lav!!!!!!!!!!!

flywithUS · July 11th, 2006, 16:03

This actually has happened to me. I was on a US 170 from MCI to PHL, when shortly after take-off, the capt. came on and told us that the lavs were "full", and that we would have a vote. We could either continue on to PHL and hold it in, or we could divert to IND where we would have it fixed. Everybody voted to continue, and continue we did.

I also know of another story, this time on a 3 hour DCA-MCI CRJ flight on US. The lav broke mid-flight, and as always, a lady had an "emergency". The capt., a furloughed US mainline pilot, explained that they would divert so she could go. However, she didn't want to cause such a delay, so she painfully held it in until they landed at MCI.

My dad knew this guy, and talked to him about it. What he told him is exactly what should have been done. There is NO need to divert. Instead of wasting thousands and thousands of dollars, let the woman #### in the toilet and just don't flush it. When you land in MCI, have somebody clean it out. Sure it won't be fun, but why cause such a big delay and waste so much money just to avoid having a turd sitting in the john for half the flight?

I would explain to the passengers that the only lav wasn't working, and that instead of taking a big delay with half the plane missing their connections, I would fly the flight on schedule, and that everybody should go before the flight. If anybody knows they wouldn't be able to hold it, the airline will put them on a later flight free of charge. And in case an "emergency" comes up mid-flight, well, there will be a turd or some piss in the toilet until we land, and everybody would just deal with it.

fly02 · July 11th, 2006, 16:28

I fly eagle quite a bit. They quite often make an announcement before boarding that the lav is broke. Some smart a$$ always suggests he should get part of his ticket price refunded since the lav is broken.

Passenger 57 · August 9th, 2006, 12:26

I remember when I used to perform lav service during the winter as a ramp agent for a major airline and the blue juice (lav liquid) would sometimes be frozen when the plane arrived. Not entirely frozen, but just at the part where you hook up the hose to fill it with fresh blue juice. The only way to service the lav would be to empty it out and then to carry a bucket full of blue juice up the jetway steps or walk it up a belt loader through the rear provisioning door and pour the stuff carefully into the toilet. All of this while trying not to slip and fall on an icy ramp. Obviously, I would avoid doing this if I could. But when the ops agent calls repeatedly for lav service you kinda have to look like you're doing it. Not all airline jobs are by any means glamourous. Nothing like the smell of fresh blue juice in the morning.

crasher_2009 · August 9th, 2006, 23:24

I flew a citation last weekend for a local company and the lavatory wasn't working, and it was only a 45 min flight so I let them make the choice....

calcapt · February 27th, 2007, 22:41

I happen to believe that a working lav is a basic and expected necessity for paying passengers. Have ops call contract maintenance and get it fixed. No voting and no discussions. If a creative crew wants to try resetting a breaker or jiggling a handle - go for it. If that doesn't work, get it fixed right and then continue on your way. The pressure to go by others should have no bearing on a prudent and sound decision by the captain. There are no committees or democracies on my airplane.

staplegun · February 27th, 2007, 22:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug Taylor

Fix it or pull the breaker, but dispatching on a 150 minute flight with an inop lav is nuts!

Uh, Doug, I know you've seen this before...

CAUTION: Flight crew reset of a tripped circuit breaker in flight is not
recommended unless specifically directed to do so in a
non-normal checklist. However, a tripped circuit breaker may
be reset once, after a short cooling period (approximately 3
minutes), if in the judgment of the Captain, the situation
resulting from the circuit breaker trip has a significant adverse
effect on safety. A ground reset of a tripped circuit breaker by
the flight crew should only be accomplished after maintenance
has determined it is safe to reset the circuit breaker. Flight
crew cycling (pulling and resetting) of circuit breakers to clear
non-normal conditions is not recommended unless directed by
a non-normal checklist. If it is determined that the circuit
breaker must be reset, turn off the affected component (if
possible), and wait 3 minutes to let the circuit breaker cool
properly prior to reset. Attempt only one reset.
WARNING: Do not reset a tripped fuel boost pump CB.

Kevin

viper548 · February 28th, 2007, 14:42

Call MX and pull the circut breaker. Announce to the pax that the lav wont flush and put some bottled water in the lav to flush it down. IMO a non-flushing lav isn't worth telling people they have to hold it in or get creative with the barf bag.

TonyC · February 28th, 2007, 16:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by staplegun

Uh, Doug, I know you've seen this before...

CAUTION: Flight crew reset of a tripped circuit breaker in flight is not
recommended unless specifically directed to do so in a
non-normal checklist.

Kevin

Who said anything about resetting a tripped CB?

.

staplegun · February 28th, 2007, 17:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by TonyC

Who said anything about resetting a tripped CB?

.

Read the whole thing...

Flight crew cycling (pulling and resetting) of circuit breakers to clear non-normal conditions is not
recommended unless directed by a non-normal checklist.

Kevin

TonyC · February 28th, 2007, 22:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by staplegun

Read the whole thing...

Flight crew cycling (pulling and resetting) of circuit breakers to clear non-normal conditions is not
recommended unless directed by a non-normal checklist.

Kevin

Fair 'nuff.

Technically, you wouldn't be doing this, either. You'd be pulling the CB to make the lav motor stop running, and resetting it to make the motor run again. There would be no expectation of "clearing" a non-normal condition. You'd only expect to clear the bowl of its new deposit.

.

staplegun · February 28th, 2007, 22:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by TonyC

You'd be pulling the CB to make the lav motor stop running, and resetting it to make the motor run again.

Although it doesn't explicitly say so, the intent is to not use circuit breakers as switches, which is what you'd be doing here...

Quote:

There would be no expectation of "clearing" a non-normal condition.

Exactly why you should call maintenance...

Kevin

TonyC · March 1st, 2007, 01:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by staplegun

Exactly why you should call maintenance...

Kevin

And you'd be exactly correct.

However, I'd be inclined to get the passengers to their International Connection. Calling maintenance 5 minutes prior to push would eliminate that possibility. Pull the CB, press, and explain the situation to the Pax along with the level-off/seat belt sign OFF PA. They'll be glad to make the connection.

.

SkyCougar · March 1st, 2007, 22:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by calcapt

I happen to believe that a working lav is a basic and expected necessity for paying passengers. Have ops call contract maintenance and get it fixed. No voting and no discussions. If a creative crew wants to try resetting a breaker or jiggling a handle - go for it. If that doesn't work, get it fixed right and then continue on your way. The pressure to go by others should have no bearing on a prudent and sound decision by the captain. There are no committees or democracies on my airplane.

Can I request you to be my captain on every flight?

I once was on a flight from SFO to LHR and about midway through the flight, we were down to one working lav in business class, and one in coach - it was hell. I have to say that it wasn't the captain's fault because most of them (but not all of them) were working when we took off from SFO. It was miserable, and most certainly miserable for the people seated by the only working lavs! Nothing like a line of people standing by your seat for the entire flight. The stench was not pleasant as well.

I agree with you Calcapt, paying passengers deserve better.

H46Bubba · March 3rd, 2007, 19:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by flywithUS

My dad knew this guy, and talked to him about it. What he told him is exactly what should have been done. There is NO need to divert. Instead of wasting thousands and thousands of dollars, let the woman #### in the toilet and just don't flush it. When you land in MCI, have somebody clean it out. Sure it won't be fun, but why cause such a big delay and waste so much money just to avoid having a turd sitting in the john for half the flight?

Sure leave it for CS or mx to deal with.

I'd hand you some gloves and a baggy and say here you go captain!

thestaton · March 6th, 2007, 16:28

Since the toilet is stuck flushing why not trying to rework the button for a few seconds. If this does not work, try your circuit breaker if you can find it. If it stops the madness, then you've got your golden ticket.

Your flight attendant has a new job in flight.

If this does not fix the problem, I don't think women will have a problem with the hover technique. I've seen many of them do this at concerts, and other crazy times, so if they have to go bad enough they'll adapt.

is the door closed yet it's time for push back.