American Airlines Flight 37 Diverts to New York After Six Toilets Fail Mid-Flight
An American Airlines flight carrying 287 people was diverted to New York after six toilets stopped working during a transatlantic flight from Madrid to Dallas.
American Airlines Flight 37, operated by a Boeing 777, was several hours into its journey Tuesday when the crew reported that only two lavatories remained operational.
The pilots declared a “pan-pan” urgency call, which signals a serious problem requiring priority handling but is below the level of a life-threatening emergency.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the aircraft landed safely at John F. Kennedy International Airport after the crew reported an inadequate number of working lavatories.
Because the plane still had several hours of fuel on board, it was reportedly above its normal landing weight, requiring additional precautions during the diversion.
Air traffic control recordings captured the pilot confirming that only two toilets were available for passengers and crew.
The aircraft landed safely at JFK and later continued to Dallas after spending more than three hours in New York.
The cause of the lavatory failures was not immediately clear.
