CABIN ATTENDANT RPT; B757; LAX-EWR. 'CELEBRITY' PAX SMOKED IN 2 DIFFERENT LAVATORIES; WITNESSED BY ANOTHER PAX. PAX DENIED IT; BUT HAD BEEN FINED BEFORE. NO FINE.

Date: 2000-04 · Aircraft: B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|flight-deck-cabin-aircraft-event-passenger-misconduct|flight-deck-cabin-aircraft-event-smoke-fire-fumes-odor

Synopsis

CABIN ATTENDANT RPT; B757; LAX-EWR. 'CELEBRITY' PAX SMOKED IN 2 DIFFERENT LAVATORIES; WITNESSED BY ANOTHER PAX. PAX DENIED IT; BUT HAD BEEN FINED BEFORE. NO FINE.

Narrative

THE RPTING FLT ATTENDANT NOTICED A STRONG ODOR OF CIGARETTE SMOKE AS A PAX EXITED FIRST CLASS LAVATORY. A FLT ATTENDANT MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT REMINDING PAX THAT THE FLT WAS DESIGNATED AS NON-SMOKING. ANOTHER PAX THEN ASKED IF SOMEONE HAD BEEN SMOKING; BECAUSE SHE 'SMELLED SOMETHING FUNKY IN THE LAVATORY.' LATER; THE PAX USED A DIFFERENT LAVATORY AND WITNESSES SAW AND SMELLED CIGARETTE SMOKE FROM THAT LAVATORY. A FLT ATTENDANT PULLED THE PAX ASIDE TOWARDS END OF THE FLT (SHE HAD BEEN SLEEPING AFTER SECOND SMOKING INCIDENT) TO DISCUSS THE MATTER. THE PAX MAY HAVE FELT EMBARRASSED AT BEING CAUGHT SMOKING OR FELT THAT IT WOULD BE OVERLOOKED DUE TO HER 'CELEBRITY STATUS.' WHEN THE PAX REALIZED THAT SHE WOULD NOT RECEIVE SPECIAL TREATMENT; SHE BECAME MORE ADAMANT IN DENYING THAT SHE EVEN SMOKED ANYMORE (THOUGH SHE WAS LATER SEEN BY 3 OF THE CREW MEMBERS SMOKING OUTSIDE THE TERMINAL). THIS PAX ADMITTED TO BEING FINED ON A PREVIOUS FLT FOR SMOKING; YET LIED ABOUT NOT SMOKING ANYMORE. FINES AND PENALTIES (NOT NECESSARILY MONETARY) MUST BE STRICTER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THAT HE FIRST NOTICED THE SMOKE IN THE FIRST CLASS LAVATORY; AND KNEW THAT THE WOMAN WAS A FIRST CLASS PAX WHEN HE FIRST CONFRONTED HER. SHE KNEW HE SUSPECTED HER OF SMOKING; SO SHE WENT BACK TO THE MAIN CABIN AND USED THAT LAVATORY; WHERE THE SMOKE WAS BILLOWING OUT AND COULDN'T BE HELPED BUT BE NOTICED BY OTHER PAX. WHEN CONFRONTED BY THE PURSER; SHE GOT AGGRESSIVE AND CALLED THE PURSER A 'ROBOT.' SHE TRIED TO GET OUT OF BEING FINED BY TELLING HIM THAT SHE HAD GIVEN UP SMOKING; AFTER BEING FINED BEFORE ON AN INTL FLT. THE RPTR SAID THAT IN EITHER LAVATORY; THE SMOKE ALARM HAD NOT SOUNDED; EVEN THOUGH SMOKE WAS BILLOWING OUT OF THE MAIN CABIN LAVATORY.

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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.