Air carrier PIC elects to land aircraft when passenger is still in lavatory.

Attributes
ACN	237396
Time
Date	199303
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 300 agl bound upper : 400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : atl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : straight in
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 11300 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	237396
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While on short final (landing runway 27L) I was notified someone was in the forward lavatory and refused to come out. Since we were on very short final and in the final phases of flight, I elected to continue the approach and landing. I based my decision on the fact that I was having difficulty communicating with the tower to coordinate a go around due to radio congestion. Also, tower had cleared an aircraft for takeoff on runway 27R and was in the process of clearing another into position. Taking all these considerations into account, I felt it more hazardous to go around than to land under these circumstances. If the flight attendant and I had been notified earlier, a go around would have been immediately executed. A normal landing was made and the man was returned to his seat after clearing the runway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR PIC ELECTS TO LAND ACFT WHEN PAX IS STILL IN LAVATORY.

Narrative: WHILE ON SHORT FINAL (LNDG RWY 27L) I WAS NOTIFIED SOMEONE WAS IN THE FORWARD LAVATORY AND REFUSED TO COME OUT. SINCE WE WERE ON VERY SHORT FINAL AND IN THE FINAL PHASES OF FLT, I ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE APCH AND LNDG. I BASED MY DECISION ON THE FACT THAT I WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY COMMUNICATING WITH THE TWR TO COORDINATE A GAR DUE TO RADIO CONGESTION. ALSO, TWR HAD CLRED AN ACFT FOR TKOF ON RWY 27R AND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF CLRING ANOTHER INTO POS. TAKING ALL THESE CONSIDERATIONS INTO ACCOUNT, I FELT IT MORE HAZARDOUS TO GAR THAN TO LAND UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES. IF THE FLT ATTENDANT AND I HAD BEEN NOTIFIED EARLIER, A GAR WOULD HAVE BEEN IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED. A NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE AND THE MAN WAS RETURNED TO HIS SEAT AFTER CLRING THE RWY.

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.