A B737-300 flight attendant reports a lavatory overflow contaminated the aft aircraft floor area and...

Attributes
ACN	683491
Time
Date	200510
Place
Locale Reference	airport : den.airport
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
ASRS Report	683491
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	other other : 1
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Company Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Inbound crew told coach flight attendants that aft lavatory overflowed with feces and urine. Do not know extent of clean-up performed. Got impression from flight attendants that a superficial surface cleaning was done -- not sufficient enough to feel area was sanitary. Flight attendants said captain made them take flight. Floor wet; sticky and seatbelts hanging from jumpseats onto floor contaminating them. We wanted new plane or clean-up. Were told plane to be taken OTS at end of trip sequence. We were upset. If bad enough to take OTS; then why good enough to fly!? Felt compromising our health and passenger health to make money by using flight for rest of its 'work day.' due to pressure and guilt for delaying flight; we accepted flight with seatbelts replaced and floor sprayed with sanitary spray. Flight attendants opened up infection kit and laid down sanitation blanket and used duct tape from handcuff/security box to tape blanket down. Toilets had not been dumped and took filthy lavatories to sfo smelling from old toilet water not dumped. Water in toilet yellow/brown.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 FLT ATTENDANT RPTS A LAVATORY OVERFLOW CONTAMINATED THE AFT ACFT FLOOR AREA AND WAS INSUFFICIENTLY CLEANED FOR SANITARY PURPOSES.

Narrative: INBOUND CREW TOLD COACH FLT ATTENDANTS THAT AFT LAVATORY OVERFLOWED WITH FECES AND URINE. DO NOT KNOW EXTENT OF CLEAN-UP PERFORMED. GOT IMPRESSION FROM FLT ATTENDANTS THAT A SUPERFICIAL SURFACE CLEANING WAS DONE -- NOT SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO FEEL AREA WAS SANITARY. FLT ATTENDANTS SAID CAPT MADE THEM TAKE FLT. FLOOR WET; STICKY AND SEATBELTS HANGING FROM JUMPSEATS ONTO FLOOR CONTAMINATING THEM. WE WANTED NEW PLANE OR CLEAN-UP. WERE TOLD PLANE TO BE TAKEN OTS AT END OF TRIP SEQUENCE. WE WERE UPSET. IF BAD ENOUGH TO TAKE OTS; THEN WHY GOOD ENOUGH TO FLY!? FELT COMPROMISING OUR HEALTH AND PAX HEALTH TO MAKE MONEY BY USING FLT FOR REST OF ITS 'WORK DAY.' DUE TO PRESSURE AND GUILT FOR DELAYING FLT; WE ACCEPTED FLT WITH SEATBELTS REPLACED AND FLOOR SPRAYED WITH SANITARY SPRAY. FLT ATTENDANTS OPENED UP INFECTION KIT AND LAID DOWN SANITATION BLANKET AND USED DUCT TAPE FROM HANDCUFF/SECURITY BOX TO TAPE BLANKET DOWN. TOILETS HAD NOT BEEN DUMPED AND TOOK FILTHY LAVATORIES TO SFO SMELLING FROM OLD TOILET WATER NOT DUMPED. WATER IN TOILET YELLOW/BROWN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.

A B737-300 flight attendant reports a lavatory overflow contaminated the aft aircraft floor area and was insufficiently cleaned for sanitary purposes.