Narrative:

The APU on this aircraft was inoperative. It had been deferred for many days. Upon entering the aircraft it was 92 degrees F and hot air was blowing from the air vents above passenger seats. We were required to board the passenger in the sweltering heat as the inside cabin temperature rose to 95 degrees F. After pushback from the gate, while we were taxiing around ZZZ1 there was a foul odor coming from both first class bathrooms. I looked in the bathrooms to find the sinks filled to the top with urine and fecal waste. I was able to drain what I could, but it came up from the bottom again quickly. Before the captain said, 'flight attendants prepare for takeoff,' I chose to notify the cockpit of the situation. I spoke to relief pilot and relayed the information surely expecting someone to come out of the cockpit. No one came out! After takeoff, the urine/fecal substance became apparent in all the lavatories. In business class, it was all over the counter and 1 1/2 inches on the floor. I locked the business class lavatories, the whole flight. First class and coach lavatories could be drained, but useable. Eventually, the relief pilot came out to inspect (as it was his break time). The captain called and asked when this happened 'after takeoff.' I told him I called before takeoff. Bottom line: the relief pilot did not inform the captain! Captain was very angry and said we would have gone back to the gate had he known the situation. The relief pilot assumed it was backed up coffee and I can assure you (with witnesses) it was not! Captain informed me that it had occurred 3 other times (he'd been in touch with maintenance in-flight) and attributed it to shared galley/plumbing lines. Continued to destination. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the APU was inoperative as stated in the report and the cabin temperature after boarding was 95 degrees accompanied with a terrible odor from the first class lavatory. The reporter said checking the first class lavatory it was found the sinks were filled to the top with urine and fecal matter. The reporter said this was reported prior to takeoff to the relief pilot but apparently ignored. The reporter stated on checking the remainder of the lavatory sinks, all were found in the same condition except business class which was filled to overflowing and on takeoff spilled onto the counter and floor. The reporter said business class lavatories were blocked off. When asked by the analyst if she was aware of any other incidents of this nature she said she had heard of two others but with no details.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B777 FLT ATTENDANT IN CHARGE RPTS, PRIOR TO TKOF, ALL LAVATORY SINKS FILLED TO THE TOP WITH URINE AND FECAL MATTER. COCKPIT ADVISED.

Narrative: THE APU ON THIS ACFT WAS INOP. IT HAD BEEN DEFERRED FOR MANY DAYS. UPON ENTERING THE ACFT IT WAS 92 DEGS F AND HOT AIR WAS BLOWING FROM THE AIR VENTS ABOVE PAX SEATS. WE WERE REQUIRED TO BOARD THE PAX IN THE SWELTERING HEAT AS THE INSIDE CABIN TEMP ROSE TO 95 DEGS F. AFTER PUSHBACK FROM THE GATE, WHILE WE WERE TAXIING AROUND ZZZ1 THERE WAS A FOUL ODOR COMING FROM BOTH FIRST CLASS BATHROOMS. I LOOKED IN THE BATHROOMS TO FIND THE SINKS FILLED TO THE TOP WITH URINE AND FECAL WASTE. I WAS ABLE TO DRAIN WHAT I COULD, BUT IT CAME UP FROM THE BOTTOM AGAIN QUICKLY. BEFORE THE CAPT SAID, 'FLT ATTENDANTS PREPARE FOR TKOF,' I CHOSE TO NOTIFY THE COCKPIT OF THE SIT. I SPOKE TO RELIEF PLT AND RELAYED THE INFO SURELY EXPECTING SOMEONE TO COME OUT OF THE COCKPIT. NO ONE CAME OUT! AFTER TKOF, THE URINE/FECAL SUBSTANCE BECAME APPARENT IN ALL THE LAVATORIES. IN BUSINESS CLASS, IT WAS ALL OVER THE COUNTER AND 1 1/2 INCHES ON THE FLOOR. I LOCKED THE BUSINESS CLASS LAVATORIES, THE WHOLE FLT. FIRST CLASS AND COACH LAVATORIES COULD BE DRAINED, BUT USEABLE. EVENTUALLY, THE RELIEF PLT CAME OUT TO INSPECT (AS IT WAS HIS BREAK TIME). THE CAPT CALLED AND ASKED WHEN THIS HAPPENED 'AFTER TKOF.' I TOLD HIM I CALLED BEFORE TKOF. BOTTOM LINE: THE RELIEF PLT DID NOT INFORM THE CAPT! CAPT WAS VERY ANGRY AND SAID WE WOULD HAVE GONE BACK TO THE GATE HAD HE KNOWN THE SIT. THE RELIEF PLT ASSUMED IT WAS BACKED UP COFFEE AND I CAN ASSURE YOU (WITH WITNESSES) IT WAS NOT! CAPT INFORMED ME THAT IT HAD OCCURRED 3 OTHER TIMES (HE'D BEEN IN TOUCH WITH MAINT INFLT) AND ATTRIBUTED IT TO SHARED GALLEY/PLUMBING LINES. CONTINUED TO DEST. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE APU WAS INOP AS STATED IN THE RPT AND THE CABIN TEMP AFTER BOARDING WAS 95 DEGS ACCOMPANIED WITH A TERRIBLE ODOR FROM THE FIRST CLASS LAVATORY. THE RPTR SAID CHKING THE FIRST CLASS LAVATORY IT WAS FOUND THE SINKS WERE FILLED TO THE TOP WITH URINE AND FECAL MATTER. THE RPTR SAID THIS WAS RPTED PRIOR TO TKOF TO THE RELIEF PLT BUT APPARENTLY IGNORED. THE RPTR STATED ON CHKING THE REMAINDER OF THE LAVATORY SINKS, ALL WERE FOUND IN THE SAME CONDITION EXCEPT BUSINESS CLASS WHICH WAS FILLED TO OVERFLOWING AND ON TKOF SPILLED ONTO THE COUNTER AND FLOOR. THE RPTR SAID BUSINESS CLASS LAVATORIES WERE BLOCKED OFF. WHEN ASKED BY THE ANALYST IF SHE WAS AWARE OF ANY OTHER INCIDENTS OF THIS NATURE SHE SAID SHE HAD HEARD OF TWO OTHERS BUT WITH NO DETAILS.

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.