All Philippine Airlines Toilets Malfunction Over Pacific, Crew Scoops Human Waste

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A Philippine Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Manila encountered a disastrous situation when all 11 lavatories on the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft malfunctioned and became clogged while over the Pacific Ocean. With the nearest diversion point hours away, the captain and operations team decided to continue the flight, leading the crew to be instructed by a supervisor to manually scoop human waste out of the toilets and dispose of it in the adjacent sinks.

Why it matters

This incident highlights the challenges airlines can face with onboard equipment failures, especially when far from land, and the difficult decisions crews must make to prioritize passenger and crew safety and comfort. It also raises concerns about sanitation protocols and whether profits and punctuality were prioritized over the wellbeing of those on board.

The details

According to reports, the crew was angry that the flight was not diverted, as the situation was viewed as an operational and leadership failure. No further investigation was conducted after the incident, leading the crew to worry it could happen again in the future.

• The incident occurred on Philippine Airlines flight PR113 from Los Angeles (LAX) to Manila (MNL) last week.

What’s next

The airline has not indicated if it will investigate the incident further or implement any changes to its procedures for dealing with onboard equipment failures.