Narrative:

A passenger discovered smoke (cigarette) in aft lavatory when attempted to use it. The passenger notified the nearest flight attendant who was in nearby galley. Flight attendant entered lavatory and saw some hazy smoke and smelled cigarette tobacco. Flight attendant checked lavatory for cigarette evidence in toilet, trash can under sink, and in sink. Cigarette ash discovered in sink. Passenger pointed out the passenger (50+ yr old male) who had exited that particular lavatory last. Passenger had to wait for lavatory to be available, therefore could identify the last passenger in lavatory. Passenger also stated that the passenger in question smelled of cigarette smoke as he exited lavatory. Flight attendant approached the perpetrator and saw a pack of cigarettes in breast pocket of shirt. Flight attendant also smelled cigarette tobacco/smoke emanating from this passenger. Flight attendant had no proof that this passenger was the smoker. Therefore, flight attendant made a second announcement that smoking was prohibited on board and that cooperation was appreciated. 10 mins after announcements, perpetrator was seen by flight attendant entering same lavatory. This passenger exited 5 mins later, smelling of cigarettes/smoke. Flight attendant immediately entered lavatory to find evidence of smoking. Lavatory smelled of smoke and cigarette ashes found in sink again. Fear of a smoldering fire in the trash, which was assumed placement for hiding cigarette, flight attendant checked trash bin under sink and smelled tobacco. Flight attendant pulled all trash out of container and discovered plastic cup with burned cigarette in cup. Cigarette was warm from use -- being lit. Immediately the #1 flight attendant was notified of situation and identify of passenger/perpetrator. The flight attendant who discovered the cigarette and situation, did not approach male passenger due to past experience of male passenger dismissing a female flight attendant's instructions, advice, reprimands, etc. Also female flight attendant had previous experience of male passenger becoming belligerent and volatile when approached. Therefore, responsibility of reprimanding and/or addressing perpetrator was given to #1 flight attendant and the captain. Captain and #1 flight attendant addressed perpetrator, who at some point admitted to smoking in the lavatory despite 2 announcements prohibiting smoking. Perpetrator was met by local police upon arrival and warned in writing and verbally of the danger of smoking, the loss of traveling-by-air rights, and fines. The perpetrator stated that, 'I don't care. Maybe I could have died, that would have been better.' perpetrator seemed despondent and did not care of the outcome of his actions despite repeated warnings by captain and the police. Under the circumstances, the passenger who was suicidal/despondent was not going to observe rules. Nothing could have prevented his actions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT, S80, ORD-JFK, PAX SMOKED IN LAVATORY, MET BY POLICE IN JFK.

Narrative: A PAX DISCOVERED SMOKE (CIGARETTE) IN AFT LAVATORY WHEN ATTEMPTED TO USE IT. THE PAX NOTIFIED THE NEAREST FLT ATTENDANT WHO WAS IN NEARBY GALLEY. FLT ATTENDANT ENTERED LAVATORY AND SAW SOME HAZY SMOKE AND SMELLED CIGARETTE TOBACCO. FLT ATTENDANT CHKED LAVATORY FOR CIGARETTE EVIDENCE IN TOILET, TRASH CAN UNDER SINK, AND IN SINK. CIGARETTE ASH DISCOVERED IN SINK. PAX POINTED OUT THE PAX (50+ YR OLD MALE) WHO HAD EXITED THAT PARTICULAR LAVATORY LAST. PAX HAD TO WAIT FOR LAVATORY TO BE AVAILABLE, THEREFORE COULD IDENT THE LAST PAX IN LAVATORY. PAX ALSO STATED THAT THE PAX IN QUESTION SMELLED OF CIGARETTE SMOKE AS HE EXITED LAVATORY. FLT ATTENDANT APCHED THE PERPETRATOR AND SAW A PACK OF CIGARETTES IN BREAST POCKET OF SHIRT. FLT ATTENDANT ALSO SMELLED CIGARETTE TOBACCO/SMOKE EMANATING FROM THIS PAX. FLT ATTENDANT HAD NO PROOF THAT THIS PAX WAS THE SMOKER. THEREFORE, FLT ATTENDANT MADE A SECOND ANNOUNCEMENT THAT SMOKING WAS PROHIBITED ON BOARD AND THAT COOPERATION WAS APPRECIATED. 10 MINS AFTER ANNOUNCEMENTS, PERPETRATOR WAS SEEN BY FLT ATTENDANT ENTERING SAME LAVATORY. THIS PAX EXITED 5 MINS LATER, SMELLING OF CIGARETTES/SMOKE. FLT ATTENDANT IMMEDIATELY ENTERED LAVATORY TO FIND EVIDENCE OF SMOKING. LAVATORY SMELLED OF SMOKE AND CIGARETTE ASHES FOUND IN SINK AGAIN. FEAR OF A SMOLDERING FIRE IN THE TRASH, WHICH WAS ASSUMED PLACEMENT FOR HIDING CIGARETTE, FLT ATTENDANT CHKED TRASH BIN UNDER SINK AND SMELLED TOBACCO. FLT ATTENDANT PULLED ALL TRASH OUT OF CONTAINER AND DISCOVERED PLASTIC CUP WITH BURNED CIGARETTE IN CUP. CIGARETTE WAS WARM FROM USE -- BEING LIT. IMMEDIATELY THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT WAS NOTIFIED OF SIT AND IDENT OF PAX/PERPETRATOR. THE FLT ATTENDANT WHO DISCOVERED THE CIGARETTE AND SIT, DID NOT APCH MALE PAX DUE TO PAST EXPERIENCE OF MALE PAX DISMISSING A FEMALE FLT ATTENDANT'S INSTRUCTIONS, ADVICE, REPRIMANDS, ETC. ALSO FEMALE FLT ATTENDANT HAD PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE OF MALE PAX BECOMING BELLIGERENT AND VOLATILE WHEN APCHED. THEREFORE, RESPONSIBILITY OF REPRIMANDING AND/OR ADDRESSING PERPETRATOR WAS GIVEN TO #1 FLT ATTENDANT AND THE CAPT. CAPT AND #1 FLT ATTENDANT ADDRESSED PERPETRATOR, WHO AT SOME POINT ADMITTED TO SMOKING IN THE LAVATORY DESPITE 2 ANNOUNCEMENTS PROHIBITING SMOKING. PERPETRATOR WAS MET BY LCL POLICE UPON ARR AND WARNED IN WRITING AND VERBALLY OF THE DANGER OF SMOKING, THE LOSS OF TRAVELING-BY-AIR RIGHTS, AND FINES. THE PERPETRATOR STATED THAT, 'I DON'T CARE. MAYBE I COULD HAVE DIED, THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER.' PERPETRATOR SEEMED DESPONDENT AND DID NOT CARE OF THE OUTCOME OF HIS ACTIONS DESPITE REPEATED WARNINGS BY CAPT AND THE POLICE. UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, THE PAX WHO WAS SUICIDAL/DESPONDENT WAS NOT GOING TO OBSERVE RULES. NOTHING COULD HAVE PREVENTED HIS ACTIONS.

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.