Clogged toilets force Air India flight to return to U.S. in 10-hour nightmare
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Clogged toilets forced a flight from Chicago to the Indian city, Delhi, to turn around after 10 hours in the air.
Air India Flight 126 left the gate at Chicago O’Hare International Airport on March 5 at about 11 a.m. and spent 10 hours and nine minutes in the air before it returned to its point of departure, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware.
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“Upon landing at Chicago, all passengers and crew disembarked normally and have been provided with accommodation to minimize inconvenience,” the airline told the New York Post in a statement, citing a “technical issue.”
The Post reported that eight of its 12 toilets broke down after crew members “found polythene bags, rags, and clothes that had been flushed down and stuck in the plumbing.”
Air India added that due to nighttime restrictions at most European airports at the time, it could not divert the flight, making a return trip to Chicago the only option.
The airline noted: “Alternative arrangements are being made to fly the passengers to their destination.”
It added that refunds for the cancellation would be offered.
According to View From the Wing, passengers were merely told to “contact customer service,” but representatives for the airline appeared to not know about the incident.
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One customer told the travel website that they had booked a first class ticket for their cousin to fly for a wedding in India using a rewards program, but now they are dealing with another headache.
The customer added they were in “customer service hell” as they tried to get a refund for the ticket.
It’s not uncommon for airplane toilets to get clogged.
Aviation consultant Mark Martin told the Hindustan Times that it happens “because passengers often flush tissues or diapers,” but noted that it is “next to impossible” for all toilets to be clogged “due to only passengers’ fault, and in a way that it causes an emergency diversion.”
Last year, a United Airlines flight was diverted after the contents of a broken toilet made its way into the aircraft’s cabin.
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