An American Airlines flight was forced to land several hours early on Tuesday because of an urgent problem: Most of the plane’s bathrooms had stopped working.
The Boeing 777 had 287 people on board for the 10-hour flight from Madrid to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. With all but two of the plane’s eight bathrooms out of order, the crew on American Airlines Flight 37 decided to divert to Kennedy International Airport just after noon on Tuesday.
Because the plane had several hours of fuel left, it was overweight for the landing. While approaching the airport, the pilot declared a “pan-pan” to air traffic control, a radio signal used to report an urgent situation that requires assistance but does not pose an immediate threat.
“We have only two potties operating on board,” the pilot told the air traffic controller when asked why the plane needed to be diverted. The conversation was archived on LiveATC.net, a website that broadcasts air traffic control communications.
“You said only two potties, is that right?” the controller asked. The pilot responded: “That’s affirmative.”
In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed an “inadequate number of operational lavatories” forced the diversion. The plane landed safely in New York, where it stayed for over three hours before continuing to Dallas, according to FlightAware, a tracking service.
An American Airlines spokesman confirmed in an email that the plane underwent a maintenance inspection at Kennedy Airport following an issue with the aircraft’s lavatories.
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