An American Airlines flight carrying 287 passengers was forced to make an emergency landing after six toilets suddenly stopped working mid-air. The plane, Flight 37, departed Madrid on Tuesday morning and was due to land in Dallas around 11 hours later, but was swiftly diverted to New York after all but two toilets broke.
Urgent signal and weight concerns
With four hours of fuel left, the Boeing 777 was over its typical landing weight, which can cause the brakes to easily overheat, catch fire, or fail completely. The pilot declared "pan-pan," a term to signal an urgent problem needing immediate attention, but not a life-threatening emergency.
In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said: "American Airlines Flight 37 landed at JFK International Airport in New York after the crew reported an inadequate number of operational lavatories."
Pilot's communication with air traffic control
As the plane approached John F. Kennedy International Airport, the pilot told air traffic control: "So (we) have only two potties operating on board for American 37." "You said only two potties. Is that right?" the controller replied. "That's affirmative," the pilot said.
The plane eventually landed in New York safely before continuing onto Dallas after more than three hours, according to tracking site FlightAware. The Mirror has contacted American Airlines for comment.
Why toilets malfunction
While it's not clear why the toilets stopped working, an expert has told how the devices are complex, as they rely on air pressure to function, which can sometimes get blocked or otherwise malfunction, reports CNN. Nigel Jones, a former engineer for British Airways told the publication in 2024: "It's only a tiny pipe, and people put things like (diapers) down - I've seen cutlery go down, and (soft drink cans) - they're fascinated to see whether it will go down or not."
"It can take days to rectify because there’s an awful lot of pipework, and it has to be broken down to find the blockages."
