Narrative:

Around XA00 pacific time, smoke could be smelled from the aft, r-hand lavatory. Passenger call lights were going off around mid-cabin. They also were reporting the smell of smoke. Myself and another flight attendant opened the lavatory door. The 'lady' from row X had quickly extinguished her cigarette, disposing of it in a receptacle full of paper hand towels. There were also ashes by the toilet seat. She reeked of cigarettes, claimed she had only lit one to 'clear' the air. She had been drinking quite a bit and we have written reports from 2 other passenger, who witnessed 'row X' lady stealing liquor from the beverage carts. San jose police then met our flight. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that no one saw the woman extinguish the cigarette in the trash container. The smoke was all the way up to the front of the cabin, scaring a lot of the passenger. The smoke alarm never went off. Discussing it later with her flying partners, someone said that the smoke alarm doesn't go off for smoke that is smoldering, but only flames cause the heat to go way up. The woman was traveling with a group of nine, including children. When the woman stole the liquor from the carts in the galley, she posted one of her friends to watch for an approaching flight attendant, while she filled a bag up with a lot of miniatures. The police met the flight and waited to arrest her. The rest of the family ran off, not wanting to have anything to do with her. The captain decided not to press charges, because he didn't want to do all the paperwork involved. He just wanted an apology, which she didn't want to do, denying all along that she did anything wrong. The female gate agent got her to admit what she did and apologize to the captain.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, S80, DFW-SJC. WOMAN SMOKING IN LAVATORY, SMOKE ALARM DIDN'T GO OFF, STOLE LIQUOR FROM GALLEY, INTOXICATED. POLICE MET FLT. CAPT DIDN'T PRESS CHARGES.

Narrative: AROUND XA00 PACIFIC TIME, SMOKE COULD BE SMELLED FROM THE AFT, R-HAND LAVATORY. PAX CALL LIGHTS WERE GOING OFF AROUND MID-CABIN. THEY ALSO WERE RPTING THE SMELL OF SMOKE. MYSELF AND ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT OPENED THE LAVATORY DOOR. THE 'LADY' FROM ROW X HAD QUICKLY EXTINGUISHED HER CIGARETTE, DISPOSING OF IT IN A RECEPTACLE FULL OF PAPER HAND TOWELS. THERE WERE ALSO ASHES BY THE TOILET SEAT. SHE REEKED OF CIGARETTES, CLAIMED SHE HAD ONLY LIT ONE TO 'CLR' THE AIR. SHE HAD BEEN DRINKING QUITE A BIT AND WE HAVE WRITTEN RPTS FROM 2 OTHER PAX, WHO WITNESSED 'ROW X' LADY STEALING LIQUOR FROM THE BEVERAGE CARTS. SAN JOSE POLICE THEN MET OUR FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT NO ONE SAW THE WOMAN EXTINGUISH THE CIGARETTE IN THE TRASH CONTAINER. THE SMOKE WAS ALL THE WAY UP TO THE FRONT OF THE CABIN, SCARING A LOT OF THE PAX. THE SMOKE ALARM NEVER WENT OFF. DISCUSSING IT LATER WITH HER FLYING PARTNERS, SOMEONE SAID THAT THE SMOKE ALARM DOESN'T GO OFF FOR SMOKE THAT IS SMOLDERING, BUT ONLY FLAMES CAUSE THE HEAT TO GO WAY UP. THE WOMAN WAS TRAVELING WITH A GROUP OF NINE, INCLUDING CHILDREN. WHEN THE WOMAN STOLE THE LIQUOR FROM THE CARTS IN THE GALLEY, SHE POSTED ONE OF HER FRIENDS TO WATCH FOR AN APCHING FLT ATTENDANT, WHILE SHE FILLED A BAG UP WITH A LOT OF MINIATURES. THE POLICE MET THE FLT AND WAITED TO ARREST HER. THE REST OF THE FAMILY RAN OFF, NOT WANTING TO HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH HER. THE CAPT DECIDED NOT TO PRESS CHARGES, BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT TO DO ALL THE PAPERWORK INVOLVED. HE JUST WANTED AN APOLOGY, WHICH SHE DIDN'T WANT TO DO, DENYING ALL ALONG THAT SHE DID ANYTHING WRONG. THE FEMALE GATE AGENT GOT HER TO ADMIT WHAT SHE DID AND APOLOGIZE TO THE CAPT.

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.