Philippine Airlines Cabin Crew Allegedly Manually Removed Human Waste After Toilets Malfunctioned Mid-Flight

Can you imagine being on a long-haul flight with no access to the toilet? That's what passengers on Philippine Airlines flight PR113 reportedly faced earlier this month. 

The nightmare scenario happened on a Boeing 777-300ER plane flying 15 hours from Los Angeles to Manila turned disastrous after all 11 lavatories on board malfunctioned mid-flight.

According to InsiderPH, the toilets became clogged while the aircraft was over the Pacific Ocean and stopped flushing entirely.

Despite being hours away from the nearest viable diversion airport, Guam, the captain and operations team reportedly decided to continue to Manila instead of diverting.

Isn’t this every passenger’s nightmare?

Reports claim cabin crew were allegedly instructed by a supervisor to manually scoop human waste from the toilets and dispose of it in nearby sinks to prevent overflow and keep the lavatories usable.

Now, that is a whole different level of aviation horror story.  

Aviation experts cited by InsiderPH note that while airlines have procedures for almost every emergency imaginable, there are no official protocols that support manual waste handling.

A Facebook video posted by A Fly Guy’s Cabin Crew Lounge showed the crew in action.

“Cabin crew are safety professionals and certified food handlers, not sanitation workers. Asking them to manage human waste crosses a clear safety and professional boundary. Operational continuity should never come at the expense of crew health and safety,” the content creator wrote.

Unsurprisingly, the flight attendants’ union was outraged when the news broke, reportedly viewing the incident as a serious operational and leadership failure.

Crew members were said to be upset that the flight was not diverted, believing that punctuality and cost considerations were prioritised over health and safety.

The union also claimed no formal investigation was conducted after the incident, raising concerns that similar situations could happen again.

While it’s not uncommon for individual airplane toilets to break down, having every single one to fail at once is unheard of.

In response to the reports, Philippine Airlines confirmed that an “in-flight lavatory malfunction” did occur and that diverting the aircraft to Guam was considered.

However, a spokesperson for the airline said that after technical and operational assessments by both the flight and cabin crew, the decision was made to continue the flight 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.”

Photos: Philippine Airlines, onemileatatime.com, A Fly Guy’s Cabin Crew Lounge/ Facebook