A B737-300 AT 8000 FT ON BASE LEG HAS RPT OF PAX TRAPPED IN AFT LAVATORY. DOOR HANDLE FELL OFF DOOR AND COULD NOT BE OPENED. LANDED WITH PAX IN LAVATORY.

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FRIDAY NIGHT FLT TO ZZZ; 137 PAX; WITH A FULL MOON. THE FASTEN SEATBELT SIGN HAD BEEN ON FOR THE ENTIRE 40 MIN FLT BECAUSE OF LIGHT CHOP. JUST AS WE STARTED TO TURN BASE LEG; THE FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED AND SAID THAT THE AFT LAVATORY DOOR HANDLE HAD FALLEN OFF; TRAPPING A PAX IN THE AFT LAVATORY. THEY SAID THAT PART OF THE LATCH HAD FALLEN DOWN BTWN THE DOOR PANELS; AND THEY AND THE PAX HAD TRIED NUMEROUS THINGS BUT COULD NOT OPEN THE DOOR. I SLOWED TO APCH SPD; AND TOLD THEM TO KEEP TRYING; AND I WOULD LET THEM KNOW WHEN WE WERE ABOUT 2 MINS AWAY FROM LNDG. IF WE COULDN'T GET HIM OUT BY THEN; HE WOULD HAVE TO SIT IN THE LAVATORY AND BRACE HIMSELF ON THE FRONT OF THE COMPARTMENT FOR LNDG. ABOUT 2 MINS OUT; I CALLED THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND THEY HAD NOT GOTTEN THE DOOR OPEN; SO I HAD THEM TELL THE PAX TO SIT AND BRACE HIMSELF ON THE FRONT OF THE COMPARTMENT AND FOR THEM TO TAKE THEIR SEATS. I MADE A SOFT LNDG AND USED GENTLE BRAKING AND REVERSE TO STOP THE ACFT. MAINT HAD TO BREAK APART WHAT WAS LEFT OF THE LATCH TO OPEN THE DOOR AND FREE THE PAX.