26 Dec 20164:51 reconstruction2K views

Transatlantic Flight diverts to Ireland airport so passengers can use toilet

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The Unusual Diversion to Shannon

On December 26, 2016, a transatlantic OpenSkies flight from Newark to Paris diverted to Shannon Airport in Ireland after the aircraft’s toilets became unusable. The Boeing 767-300 was carrying 172 passengers. With the aircraft still hundreds of kilometres west of Ireland, the crew decided that continuing across the Atlantic without functioning lavatories was not practical and requested a diversion.

A Problem With Every Toilet

Contemporary reporting said the toilets aboard the aircraft were unserviceable and passengers had an urgent need to use facilities. The pilot told controllers that there was a serious problem with the toilets. Although the reason sounds unusual compared with a conventional technical emergency, the crew was responsible for managing the condition of the aircraft and passengers for the remainder of a long ocean crossing.

Why Shannon Was Selected

The aircraft was about 600 kilometres southwest of Ireland when the diversion decision was made. Shannon offered an established airport with passenger facilities and maintenance support. The aircraft landed shortly after 7:30 a.m. and taxied directly to the terminal. Ground crews were requested to service the lavatories.

The Flight Continues

The aircraft remained on the ground long enough for the facilities to be serviced and passengers to use the airport. Reporting says it departed Shannon at about 9:38 a.m. and continued to Paris. Another report described the arrival in Paris as roughly 130 minutes late.

No Larger Emergency Was Established

The sources do not report a medical emergency, diversion for weather, loss of pressurization or mechanical threat to the aircraft itself. The operational issue was the loss of usable toilets across the aircraft. That distinction matters because the incident was serious enough to require a diversion, but the available reporting does not support describing it as a conventional aircraft-systems emergency.

The pilot acknowledged the unusual nature of the diversion to controllers: It’s a very strange thing to come through Shannon for but that’s the case. The statement accurately captures why the event became notable while still reflecting that the crew treated the problem as an operational necessity.

The operational decision

The diversion also illustrates the difference between an unusual problem and an unsafe decision to continue. The aircraft was still over the Atlantic, the toilets were reported unusable and the crew judged that passengers urgently needed access to functioning facilities. Shannon provided both terminal access and maintenance support. The aircraft landed, the toilets were serviced and the flight continued. No source reports an injury or a separate aircraft-system emergency. The public record therefore supports a diversion story, not a medical or mechanical accident.

Accident Facts

Date
December 26, 2016
Aircraft
Boeing 767-300 was carrying 172 passengers
Event
A Transatlantic Diversion Triggered by Failed Toilets
Category
Incident / Emergency
Timeline
December 26, 2016 —
The OpenSkies flight departed Newark for Paris.
1.
Over the Atlantic —
The crew determined that the aircraft’s toilets were unserviceable and passengers urgently needed facilities.
2.
About 600 km southwest of Ireland —
The crew requested a diversion to Shannon.
3.
Shortly after 7:30 a.m. —
The aircraft landed at Shannon and taxied to the terminal.
4.
During the stop —
Ground crews serviced the lavatories and passengers used airport facilities.
5.
About 9:38 a.m. —
The aircraft departed Shannon for Paris.
6.

Sources

Audio from the original air traffic control recording, sourced from public recordings and released investigation records. The reconstruction, animation and written account are our own.
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