Cabin attendant report, B757, lax-ewr. 'Celebrity' passenger smoked in 2 different lavatories, witne...

Attributes
ACN	471986
Time
Date	200004
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zla.artcc
State Reference	CA
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty oversight : flight attendant in charge
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified flight attendant aircraft qualified on : 7
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 2 flight attendant time total : 2 flight attendant time type : 85
ASRS Report	471986
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger misconduct non adherence : far non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure other anomaly
Independent Detector	other other : cab #2
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

The reporting flight attendant noticed a strong odor of cigarette smoke as a passenger exited first class lavatory. A flight attendant made an announcement reminding passenger that the flight was designated as non-smoking. Another passenger then asked if someone had been smoking, because she 'smelled something funky in the lavatory.' later, the passenger used a different lavatory and witnesses saw and smelled cigarette smoke from that lavatory. A flight attendant pulled the passenger aside towards end of the flight (she had been sleeping after second smoking incident) to discuss the matter. The passenger may have felt embarrassed at being caught smoking or felt that it would be overlooked due to her 'celebrity status.' when the passenger realized that she would not receive special treatment, she became more adamant in denying that she even smoked anymore (though she was later seen by 3 of the crew members smoking outside the terminal). This passenger admitted to being fined on a previous flight for smoking, yet lied about not smoking anymore. Fines and penalties (not necessarily monetary) must be stricter. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said that he first noticed the smoke in the first class lavatory, and knew that the woman was a first class passenger when he first confronted her. She knew he suspected her of smoking, so she went back to the main cabin and used that lavatory, where the smoke was billowing out and couldn't be helped but be noticed by other passenger. When confronted by the purser, she got aggressive and called the purser a 'robot.' she tried to get out of being fined by telling him that she had given up smoking, after being fined before on an international flight. The reporter said that in either lavatory, the smoke alarm had not sounded, even though smoke was billowing out of the main cabin lavatory.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, B757, LAX-EWR. 'CELEBRITY' PAX SMOKED IN 2 DIFFERENT LAVATORIES, WITNESSED BY ANOTHER PAX. PAX DENIED IT, BUT HAD BEEN FINED BEFORE. NO FINE.

Narrative: THE RPTING FLT ATTENDANT NOTICED A STRONG ODOR OF CIGARETTE SMOKE AS A PAX EXITED FIRST CLASS LAVATORY. A FLT ATTENDANT MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT REMINDING PAX THAT THE FLT WAS DESIGNATED AS NON-SMOKING. ANOTHER PAX THEN ASKED IF SOMEONE HAD BEEN SMOKING, BECAUSE SHE 'SMELLED SOMETHING FUNKY IN THE LAVATORY.' LATER, THE PAX USED A DIFFERENT LAVATORY AND WITNESSES SAW AND SMELLED CIGARETTE SMOKE FROM THAT LAVATORY. A FLT ATTENDANT PULLED THE PAX ASIDE TOWARDS END OF THE FLT (SHE HAD BEEN SLEEPING AFTER SECOND SMOKING INCIDENT) TO DISCUSS THE MATTER. THE PAX MAY HAVE FELT EMBARRASSED AT BEING CAUGHT SMOKING OR FELT THAT IT WOULD BE OVERLOOKED DUE TO HER 'CELEBRITY STATUS.' WHEN THE PAX REALIZED THAT SHE WOULD NOT RECEIVE SPECIAL TREATMENT, SHE BECAME MORE ADAMANT IN DENYING THAT SHE EVEN SMOKED ANYMORE (THOUGH SHE WAS LATER SEEN BY 3 OF THE CREW MEMBERS SMOKING OUTSIDE THE TERMINAL). THIS PAX ADMITTED TO BEING FINED ON A PREVIOUS FLT FOR SMOKING, YET LIED ABOUT NOT SMOKING ANYMORE. FINES AND PENALTIES (NOT NECESSARILY MONETARY) MUST BE STRICTER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THAT HE FIRST NOTICED THE SMOKE IN THE FIRST CLASS LAVATORY, AND KNEW THAT THE WOMAN WAS A FIRST CLASS PAX WHEN HE FIRST CONFRONTED HER. SHE KNEW HE SUSPECTED HER OF SMOKING, SO SHE WENT BACK TO THE MAIN CABIN AND USED THAT LAVATORY, WHERE THE SMOKE WAS BILLOWING OUT AND COULDN'T BE HELPED BUT BE NOTICED BY OTHER PAX. WHEN CONFRONTED BY THE PURSER, SHE GOT AGGRESSIVE AND CALLED THE PURSER A 'ROBOT.' SHE TRIED TO GET OUT OF BEING FINED BY TELLING HIM THAT SHE HAD GIVEN UP SMOKING, AFTER BEING FINED BEFORE ON AN INTL FLT. THE RPTR SAID THAT IN EITHER LAVATORY, THE SMOKE ALARM HAD NOT SOUNDED, EVEN THOUGH SMOKE WAS BILLOWING OUT OF THE MAIN CABIN LAVATORY.

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.

Cabin attendant report, B757, lax-ewr. 'Celebrity' passenger smoked in 2 different lavatories, witnessed by another passenger. Passenger denied it, but had been fined before. No fine.