As a Philippine Airlines Boeing 777-300 flew at 38,000 feet above the Pacific Ocean from Los Angeles to Manila earlier this month, the passenger and crew faced a potentially embarrassing leg crossing journey as the on-board toilets stopped working with hours of the flight still to go.
This wasn’t an issue just affecting one or two lavatories, though. All 11 toilets on board the aircraft allegedly malfunctioned, and waste started quickly building up in the toilet bowls.
What happened next could make you wretch, as there were only limited options available to the pilots and flight attendants.
The first option was to divert the aircraft somewhere that engineers could not only try to get the toilet system back up and running, but also where passengers had suitable facilities available to relieve themselves.
Given that the aircraft was flying over the isolated Pacific Ocean at this point, the airline allegedly chose Option B: Get the flight attendants to manually scoop sodden toilet paper, water, and human waste from the clogged toilets and into the adjacent sinks.
Surprisingly, crew members went along with this plan of action, and there’s video evidence to prove it… if you’re not too squeamish.
Once back on the ground in Manila and with access to working toilets, the disgruntled crew approached their union to complain about what they had been required to do.
Now, the story has leaked, with local media outlet Insider PH first reporting the allegations of what unfolded on January 11.
In response to these reports, Philippine Airlines has confirmed that there was an “in-flight lavatory malfunction” and that there had been some consideration to diverting the plane to Guam.
But a spokesperson for the airline added: “After technical and operational assessment by the flight and cabin crew, the flight continued to Manila.”
“Philippine Airlines acknowledges the professionalism and dedication of the flight and cabin crew in managing the situation in accordance with established procedures, with passenger welfare as the priority,” the statement continued.
“The airline places the highest priority on the safety, health, and well-being of passengers and employees and is conducting an internal review to establish the full facts. It would be premature to comment on specific claims while this process is ongoing.”
Matt’s take – What a biohazard!
I can’t think of any airline that has “established procedures” that would include flight attendants manually scooping human waste out of a toilet, and if what has been reported is accurate, then these crew members deserve some sort of award!
Unfortunately, airplane lavatory systems do break down from time to time, although it is rare for every toilet to become inoperative.
In August 2024, an American Airlines flight from Dallas Fort Worth to Madrid was forced to make an emergency diversion to New York JFK after one of the lavatories started to overflow during the main meal service.
Again, the incident occurred on a Boeing 777-300.
The incident occurred less than eight months after American Airlines flight attendants were forced to use airline blankets to mop up sewage on a New York JFK-bound flight that had just departed Delhi.
And in April 2024, the pilots of a United Airlines flight from Frankfurt to San Francisco decided to divert back to Germany after one of the lavatories started to flood shortly after takeoff.
And yes, you guessed it, both of these incidents also occurred on Boeing 777-300 aircraft.
