Captain informed by cabin attendant that passenger was smoking in lav.

Attributes
ACN	182950
Time
Date	199107
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dta
State Reference	UT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zlt
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 9200 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	182950
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

F/as reported to me that about 3 1/2 hours into our over 5 hour flight that a passenger went into the right aft lav and that they smelled cigarette smoke while they were standing outside lav. When passenger came out after only a few mins in lav, F/as asked him if he had been smoking in the lav. He said 'yes'. F/as asked him where he had put cigarette. He told them he had dampened a folding paper towel and put the cigarette in the towel and the towel in the waste paper container next to the sink. The F/as dug through the trash by hand and found the cigarette smoldering, with charred paper around it. The F/as reported that the smoke detector in the lav (ceiling) did not sound at any time. It worked when the test button was pushed. Passenger may not have smoked long enough to set off alarm. We were lucky F/as happened to be right outside lav door at that moment!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT INFORMED BY CAB THAT PASSENGER WAS SMOKING IN LAV.

Narrative: F/AS RPTED TO ME THAT ABOUT 3 1/2 HRS INTO OUR OVER 5 HR FLT THAT A PAX WENT INTO THE R AFT LAV AND THAT THEY SMELLED CIGARETTE SMOKE WHILE THEY WERE STANDING OUTSIDE LAV. WHEN PAX CAME OUT AFTER ONLY A FEW MINS IN LAV, F/AS ASKED HIM IF HE HAD BEEN SMOKING IN THE LAV. HE SAID 'YES'. F/AS ASKED HIM WHERE HE HAD PUT CIGARETTE. HE TOLD THEM HE HAD DAMPENED A FOLDING PAPER TOWEL AND PUT THE CIGARETTE IN THE TOWEL AND THE TOWEL IN THE WASTE PAPER CONTAINER NEXT TO THE SINK. THE F/AS DUG THROUGH THE TRASH BY HAND AND FOUND THE CIGARETTE SMOLDERING, WITH CHARRED PAPER AROUND IT. THE F/AS RPTED THAT THE SMOKE DETECTOR IN THE LAV (CEILING) DID NOT SOUND AT ANY TIME. IT WORKED WHEN THE TEST BUTTON WAS PUSHED. PAX MAY NOT HAVE SMOKED LONG ENOUGH TO SET OFF ALARM. WE WERE LUCKY F/AS HAPPENED TO BE R OUTSIDE LAV DOOR AT THAT MOMENT!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.