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Smoke alarm in widebody transport lavatory set off by foreign person unable to understand announcement or read no smoking sign printed in english.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 131828 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198912 |
| Day | Tue |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zzz |
| State Reference | US |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | observation : passenger |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer |
| ASRS Report | 131828 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Recently while dead heading in the aft cabin of a widebody transport, the smoke alarm went off in one of the aft lavs. When the 'culprit' came out, he was a young japanese man traveling with a tour group. I suspect he did not understand english, therefore he never heard the announcement pertaining to not smoking in the john. I feel it would be a simple matter to put the int'l 'no smoking' symbol decal on the mirror in the lavs, and possible a decal saying 'no smoking' in english, spanish and japanese, considering that at least 2 commercial aircraft have been destroyed (heavy transport a near only and an large transport in covington, ky), and many people have died because of fires in the trash bins in aircraft lavs caused by cigarettes, I feel these decals would hopefully prevent all but the person who blatantly disregards the regulations from smoking. This could be an easy, economical fix and possibly save many lives.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMOKE ALARM IN WDB LAVATORY SET OFF BY FOREIGN PERSON UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND ANNOUNCEMENT OR READ NO SMOKING SIGN PRINTED IN ENGLISH.
Narrative: RECENTLY WHILE DEAD HEADING IN THE AFT CABIN OF A WDB, THE SMOKE ALARM WENT OFF IN ONE OF THE AFT LAVS. WHEN THE 'CULPRIT' CAME OUT, HE WAS A YOUNG JAPANESE MAN TRAVELING WITH A TOUR GROUP. I SUSPECT HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND ENGLISH, THEREFORE HE NEVER HEARD THE ANNOUNCEMENT PERTAINING TO NOT SMOKING IN THE JOHN. I FEEL IT WOULD BE A SIMPLE MATTER TO PUT THE INT'L 'NO SMOKING' SYMBOL DECAL ON THE MIRROR IN THE LAVS, AND POSSIBLE A DECAL SAYING 'NO SMOKING' IN ENGLISH, SPANISH AND JAPANESE, CONSIDERING THAT AT LEAST 2 COMMERCIAL ACFT HAVE BEEN DESTROYED (HVT A NEAR ONLY AND AN LGT IN COVINGTON, KY), AND MANY PEOPLE HAVE DIED BECAUSE OF FIRES IN THE TRASH BINS IN ACFT LAVS CAUSED BY CIGARETTES, I FEEL THESE DECALS WOULD HOPEFULLY PREVENT ALL BUT THE PERSON WHO BLATANTLY DISREGARDS THE REGS FROM SMOKING. THIS COULD BE AN EASY, ECONOMICAL FIX AND POSSIBLY SAVE MANY LIVES.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.