An MD80 flight attendant reported that a passenger smoked in the lavatory during a relatively short ...

Attributes
ACN	600076
Time
Date	200310
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zfw.artcc
State Reference	TX
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zfw.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
ASRS Report	600076
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger misconduct non adherence : company policies non adherence : far other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : 1
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

As I did safety checks in main cabin, I smelt cigarette smoke 3/4 way back. I looked up and noticed a gentleman coming out of aft right side main cabin lavatory. Went into lavatory and smelled strong cigarette smoke. I called captain and discussed what action I should take. We decided it would be best to approach the gentlemen I saw coming out of the lavatory, because he smelled with heavy cigarette smoke. When I spoke to this person about smoking in the lavatory, he said that he lit the cigarette, then noticed the 'no smoking' sign and put the cigarette out in the sink. He did not appear to think what he did was very serious and this concerned me. So I wrote the incident up on an air carrier passenger report. The report asks for passenger information including driver's license number and witnesses. After I explained the seriousness of this incident to the guilty passenger, and informed him of the report I was required to fill out, he took it seriously and apologized. I was the one in the crew that wanted to pursue the report because I knew this passenger would do this again and use the same excuse. Next time it could cause problems and we might not be so lucky. I also checked the lavatory trash to make sure his cigarette butt was completely out and not smoking in the trash can

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 FLT ATTENDANT RPTED THAT A PAX SMOKED IN THE LAVATORY DURING A RELATIVELY SHORT FLT FROM LAX TO DFW.

Narrative: AS I DID SAFETY CHKS IN MAIN CABIN, I SMELT CIGARETTE SMOKE 3/4 WAY BACK. I LOOKED UP AND NOTICED A GENTLEMAN COMING OUT OF AFT R SIDE MAIN CABIN LAVATORY. WENT INTO LAVATORY AND SMELLED STRONG CIGARETTE SMOKE. I CALLED CAPT AND DISCUSSED WHAT ACTION I SHOULD TAKE. WE DECIDED IT WOULD BE BEST TO APCH THE GENTLEMEN I SAW COMING OUT OF THE LAVATORY, BECAUSE HE SMELLED WITH HVY CIGARETTE SMOKE. WHEN I SPOKE TO THIS PERSON ABOUT SMOKING IN THE LAVATORY, HE SAID THAT HE LIT THE CIGARETTE, THEN NOTICED THE 'NO SMOKING' SIGN AND PUT THE CIGARETTE OUT IN THE SINK. HE DID NOT APPEAR TO THINK WHAT HE DID WAS VERY SERIOUS AND THIS CONCERNED ME. SO I WROTE THE INCIDENT UP ON AN ACR PAX RPT. THE RPT ASKS FOR PAX INFO INCLUDING DRIVER'S LICENSE NUMBER AND WITNESSES. AFTER I EXPLAINED THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS INCIDENT TO THE GUILTY PAX, AND INFORMED HIM OF THE RPT I WAS REQUIRED TO FILL OUT, HE TOOK IT SERIOUSLY AND APOLOGIZED. I WAS THE ONE IN THE CREW THAT WANTED TO PURSUE THE RPT BECAUSE I KNEW THIS PAX WOULD DO THIS AGAIN AND USE THE SAME EXCUSE. NEXT TIME IT COULD CAUSE PROBS AND WE MIGHT NOT BE SO LUCKY. I ALSO CHKED THE LAVATORY TRASH TO MAKE SURE HIS CIGARETTE BUTT WAS COMPLETELY OUT AND NOT SMOKING IN THE TRASH CAN

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.

An MD80 flight attendant reported that a passenger smoked in the lavatory during a relatively short flight from lax to dfw.