Narrative:

Our aircraft was dispatched with an open cabin service item: 'aft cabin carpet soaked with urine and bad odor in aft cabin.' I received my in-flight briefing sheet around XA15 when departing ZZZ. During the flight to ZZZ1 I noticed the write-up for our ZZZ1-ZZZ2 aircraft. Once in ZZZ1; we boarded aircraft when it was brought over from the hangar. It had arrived the night before and spent the night in ZZZ1. However; the open service item above had not been addressed. I briefed my crew for the flight and told them of the open item. The flight attendants assigned to jumpseats 2L/right told me immediately after taking their bags back to the area that the odor was intense and foul. They did not feel comfortable sitting there nor even having passenger on board in the area. I called our zone control. I told her of the situation as well as that our aircraft was still dirty and awaiting cleaners. She suggested that I ask the cleaners to spray 'air freshener' in the affected area. I told her that would only mask the underlying problem. I called our customer service representative and told her of the situation as well. I asked that no passenger be assigned to seats in the affected area as we were only projected at 50% capacity. After 15 mins of no cleaners; I called zone again and asked for a supervisor to be sent to the aircraft. 10 mins later still no supervisor and I called in-flight and asked for an in-flight supervisor to be sent to the aircraft. Captain arrived and I briefed him on the situation. He walked back to the affected area and concurred with me that it was a strong stench of urine. He then spent 15 mins or so on the telephone trying to resolve the situation. Once cleaners arrived to the aircraft; they tidied the cabin; yet no wet-vac nor any serious cleaning equipment was brought on to address this issue. 1 man simply squirted a little bit of disinfectant/freshener in the air over the affected area. Customer service began boarding passenger and shortly thereafter in-flight supervisor arrived. I told him of the situation and he proceeded to the aft cabin. A few mins later; he returned and told me that 'he has a very good nose and he doesn't smell anything.' I was aghast! 6 flight attendants and the captain could smell it; yet our supervisor with a 'good nose' could not. Something was not right here. Captain agreed that it was not a good situation; however; he said that our airline wanted this flight out and he agreed to take the aircraft. I pled my case. Our airline; however; was told there was no issue. We departed on time with rows xx-xy empty. Unfortunately; a family of 6 was seated in rows yy-yx. I spent a fair bit of time in the aft section during the flight and walked away with a headache and nausea. Similar reactions were felt by the flight attendants assigned to jumpseats 2L and 2R. This report may not be required by the FAA; however; I felt guilty for allowing our airline to dispatch an aircraft in such a state. It didn't seem safe to passenger or crew. I felt like I was flying inside of an 'outhouse.' it was repulsive and sad. I pray that this issue was addressed in ZZZ3; though I fear it was further ignored. Not only is disease borne through urine; but the smell alone seems unhealthy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWO B767 FLIGHT ATTENDANTS DESCRIBE THE FOWL CONDITION OF AN AIRCRAFT LAVATORY. THEY BELIEVE THAT THE UNCLEAN CONDITIONS CREATE A BIOHAZARD FOR THE PASSENGERS AND CREW. AIR CARRIER SERVICING PERSONNEL REFUSE TO ADEQUATELY CLEAN LAVATORY.

Narrative: OUR ACFT WAS DISPATCHED WITH AN OPEN CABIN SVC ITEM: 'AFT CABIN CARPET SOAKED WITH URINE AND BAD ODOR IN AFT CABIN.' I RECEIVED MY INFLT BRIEFING SHEET AROUND XA15 WHEN DEPARTING ZZZ. DURING THE FLT TO ZZZ1 I NOTICED THE WRITE-UP FOR OUR ZZZ1-ZZZ2 ACFT. ONCE IN ZZZ1; WE BOARDED ACFT WHEN IT WAS BROUGHT OVER FROM THE HANGAR. IT HAD ARRIVED THE NIGHT BEFORE AND SPENT THE NIGHT IN ZZZ1. HOWEVER; THE OPEN SVC ITEM ABOVE HAD NOT BEEN ADDRESSED. I BRIEFED MY CREW FOR THE FLT AND TOLD THEM OF THE OPEN ITEM. THE FLT ATTENDANTS ASSIGNED TO JUMPSEATS 2L/R TOLD ME IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKING THEIR BAGS BACK TO THE AREA THAT THE ODOR WAS INTENSE AND FOUL. THEY DID NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE SITTING THERE NOR EVEN HAVING PAX ON BOARD IN THE AREA. I CALLED OUR ZONE CTL. I TOLD HER OF THE SITUATION AS WELL AS THAT OUR ACFT WAS STILL DIRTY AND AWAITING CLEANERS. SHE SUGGESTED THAT I ASK THE CLEANERS TO SPRAY 'AIR FRESHENER' IN THE AFFECTED AREA. I TOLD HER THAT WOULD ONLY MASK THE UNDERLYING PROB. I CALLED OUR CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE AND TOLD HER OF THE SITUATION AS WELL. I ASKED THAT NO PAX BE ASSIGNED TO SEATS IN THE AFFECTED AREA AS WE WERE ONLY PROJECTED AT 50% CAPACITY. AFTER 15 MINS OF NO CLEANERS; I CALLED ZONE AGAIN AND ASKED FOR A SUPVR TO BE SENT TO THE ACFT. 10 MINS LATER STILL NO SUPVR AND I CALLED INFLT AND ASKED FOR AN INFLT SUPVR TO BE SENT TO THE ACFT. CAPT ARRIVED AND I BRIEFED HIM ON THE SITUATION. HE WALKED BACK TO THE AFFECTED AREA AND CONCURRED WITH ME THAT IT WAS A STRONG STENCH OF URINE. HE THEN SPENT 15 MINS OR SO ON THE TELEPHONE TRYING TO RESOLVE THE SITUATION. ONCE CLEANERS ARRIVED TO THE ACFT; THEY TIDIED THE CABIN; YET NO WET-VAC NOR ANY SERIOUS CLEANING EQUIP WAS BROUGHT ON TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. 1 MAN SIMPLY SQUIRTED A LITTLE BIT OF DISINFECTANT/FRESHENER IN THE AIR OVER THE AFFECTED AREA. CUSTOMER SVC BEGAN BOARDING PAX AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER INFLT SUPVR ARRIVED. I TOLD HIM OF THE SITUATION AND HE PROCEEDED TO THE AFT CABIN. A FEW MINS LATER; HE RETURNED AND TOLD ME THAT 'HE HAS A VERY GOOD NOSE AND HE DOESN'T SMELL ANYTHING.' I WAS AGHAST! 6 FLT ATTENDANTS AND THE CAPT COULD SMELL IT; YET OUR SUPVR WITH A 'GOOD NOSE' COULD NOT. SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT HERE. CAPT AGREED THAT IT WAS NOT A GOOD SITUATION; HOWEVER; HE SAID THAT OUR AIRLINE WANTED THIS FLT OUT AND HE AGREED TO TAKE THE ACFT. I PLED MY CASE. OUR AIRLINE; HOWEVER; WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO ISSUE. WE DEPARTED ON TIME WITH ROWS XX-XY EMPTY. UNFORTUNATELY; A FAMILY OF 6 WAS SEATED IN ROWS YY-YX. I SPENT A FAIR BIT OF TIME IN THE AFT SECTION DURING THE FLT AND WALKED AWAY WITH A HEADACHE AND NAUSEA. SIMILAR REACTIONS WERE FELT BY THE FLT ATTENDANTS ASSIGNED TO JUMPSEATS 2L AND 2R. THIS RPT MAY NOT BE REQUIRED BY THE FAA; HOWEVER; I FELT GUILTY FOR ALLOWING OUR AIRLINE TO DISPATCH AN ACFT IN SUCH A STATE. IT DIDN'T SEEM SAFE TO PAX OR CREW. I FELT LIKE I WAS FLYING INSIDE OF AN 'OUTHOUSE.' IT WAS REPULSIVE AND SAD. I PRAY THAT THIS ISSUE WAS ADDRESSED IN ZZZ3; THOUGH I FEAR IT WAS FURTHER IGNORED. NOT ONLY IS DISEASE BORNE THROUGH URINE; BUT THE SMELL ALONE SEEMS UNHEALTHY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.