Narrative:

Passenger refusal to remain seated while the aircraft was in motion on the ground. On final approach into pit a female passenger left her seat to take a child to the forward lav. The forward F/a, after repeated requests, managed to convince the woman to return to her seat just prior to touchdown. Either during the landing roll, or shortly after leaving the runway, the woman's husband left his seat with the child and proceeded to take her to the aft lav. The aft F/a's were unable to stop the passenger who removed the restraining strap which blocks the aft lav (and tailcone exit) during landing and taxi. After the passenger came out of the lav, the F/a requested that he take any seat and even told him to situation down on the F/a jumpseat. Just situation down! The F/a's informed the cockpit via the interphone as the flight was pulling into the gate to request that a passenger agent meet the flight as the passenger was now demanding the names of the F/a's who had interfered with his trek to the lav. I talked to the passenger after the flight and tried to impress on him the seriousness of his actions, but he passed it off as 'when my child needs to go, I am going to take her!' after the incident, I told the F/a's that if something like that ever happened again, they should immediately inform the cockpit and we will stop the aircraft and wait until the passenger has returned to his seat. Prior to every trip, I brief the F/a's that I wish to be informed of any problems in the cabin, but perhaps that is not specific enough. In the future, I will tell them that while one or two of them is involved in the problem, one of the others should get on the interphone and inform the cockpit. The F/a's said that they had never had anything like this happen to them before and could not believe that a passenger would refuse to follow their instructions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PASSENTER REFUSED TO REMAIN SEATED DURING APCH AND LNDG BECAUSE HIS CHILD HAD TO USE THE LAVATORY.

Narrative: PAX REFUSAL TO REMAIN SEATED WHILE THE ACFT WAS IN MOTION ON THE GND. ON FINAL APCH INTO PIT A FEMALE PAX LEFT HER SEAT TO TAKE A CHILD TO THE FORWARD LAV. THE FORWARD F/A, AFTER REPEATED REQUESTS, MANAGED TO CONVINCE THE WOMAN TO RETURN TO HER SEAT JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN. EITHER DURING THE LNDG ROLL, OR SHORTLY AFTER LEAVING THE RWY, THE WOMAN'S HUSBAND LEFT HIS SEAT WITH THE CHILD AND PROCEEDED TO TAKE HER TO THE AFT LAV. THE AFT F/A'S WERE UNABLE TO STOP THE PAX WHO REMOVED THE RESTRAINING STRAP WHICH BLOCKS THE AFT LAV (AND TAILCONE EXIT) DURING LNDG AND TAXI. AFTER THE PAX CAME OUT OF THE LAV, THE F/A REQUESTED THAT HE TAKE ANY SEAT AND EVEN TOLD HIM TO SIT DOWN ON THE F/A JUMPSEAT. JUST SIT DOWN! THE F/A'S INFORMED THE COCKPIT VIA THE INTERPHONE AS THE FLT WAS PULLING INTO THE GATE TO REQUEST THAT A PAX AGENT MEET THE FLT AS THE PAX WAS NOW DEMANDING THE NAMES OF THE F/A'S WHO HAD INTERFERED WITH HIS TREK TO THE LAV. I TALKED TO THE PAX AFTER THE FLT AND TRIED TO IMPRESS ON HIM THE SERIOUSNESS OF HIS ACTIONS, BUT HE PASSED IT OFF AS 'WHEN MY CHILD NEEDS TO GO, I AM GOING TO TAKE HER!' AFTER THE INCIDENT, I TOLD THE F/A'S THAT IF SOMETHING LIKE THAT EVER HAPPENED AGAIN, THEY SHOULD IMMEDIATELY INFORM THE COCKPIT AND WE WILL STOP THE ACFT AND WAIT UNTIL THE PAX HAS RETURNED TO HIS SEAT. PRIOR TO EVERY TRIP, I BRIEF THE F/A'S THAT I WISH TO BE INFORMED OF ANY PROBLEMS IN THE CABIN, BUT PERHAPS THAT IS NOT SPECIFIC ENOUGH. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL TELL THEM THAT WHILE ONE OR TWO OF THEM IS INVOLVED IN THE PROBLEM, ONE OF THE OTHERS SHOULD GET ON THE INTERPHONE AND INFORM THE COCKPIT. THE F/A'S SAID THAT THEY HAD NEVER HAD ANYTHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN TO THEM BEFORE AND COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT A PAX WOULD REFUSE TO FOLLOW THEIR INSTRUCTIONS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.