Narrative:

After repeated requests to have the lavatories dumped, and being told they had already been dumped, we departed sustaining a 45 min delay. The odor turned to stench during the flight -- there was no air to breathe that was not stench-ridden. Passenger complained vehemently as far back as row 11 in coach. Finally my flying partner took out an oxygen bottle, which we intermittently used just to inhale decent air. Passenger coming out of the lavatory also chose to take a few breaths. We were met by flight service in ord. I was feeling nauseated and had a headache. The flight service supervisor offered for us to deadhead back to base, which we all took her up on. I was also concerned about what kind of bacteria we had been subjected to for the previous 4 hours. In lax we went to medical to be checked, nothing was found, and we were released to return to work. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the 45 min delay was due to the late arrival of the captain, who was delayed on an inbound aircraft. The first officer was complacent about the lavatory problem despite the cabin attendant repeatedly alerting him to the problem. When the captain arrived, the gate personnel pressed for immediate departure due to passenger connection time, etc, and did not inform him of the lavatory problem and the flight departed without proper lavatory service.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ONBOARD MD80, LAVATORIES ON ACFT WERE NOT SVCED BEFORE TKOF, AND PAX AND CABIN ATTENDANTS ENDURED STENCH UNTIL ARR AT DEST.

Narrative: AFTER REPEATED REQUESTS TO HAVE THE LAVATORIES DUMPED, AND BEING TOLD THEY HAD ALREADY BEEN DUMPED, WE DEPARTED SUSTAINING A 45 MIN DELAY. THE ODOR TURNED TO STENCH DURING THE FLT -- THERE WAS NO AIR TO BREATHE THAT WAS NOT STENCH-RIDDEN. PAX COMPLAINED VEHEMENTLY AS FAR BACK AS ROW 11 IN COACH. FINALLY MY FLYING PARTNER TOOK OUT AN OXYGEN BOTTLE, WHICH WE INTERMITTENTLY USED JUST TO INHALE DECENT AIR. PAX COMING OUT OF THE LAVATORY ALSO CHOSE TO TAKE A FEW BREATHS. WE WERE MET BY FLT SVC IN ORD. I WAS FEELING NAUSEATED AND HAD A HEADACHE. THE FLT SVC SUPVR OFFERED FOR US TO DEADHEAD BACK TO BASE, WHICH WE ALL TOOK HER UP ON. I WAS ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT KIND OF BACTERIA WE HAD BEEN SUBJECTED TO FOR THE PREVIOUS 4 HRS. IN LAX WE WENT TO MEDICAL TO BE CHKED, NOTHING WAS FOUND, AND WE WERE RELEASED TO RETURN TO WORK. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE 45 MIN DELAY WAS DUE TO THE LATE ARR OF THE CAPT, WHO WAS DELAYED ON AN INBOUND ACFT. THE FO WAS COMPLACENT ABOUT THE LAVATORY PROB DESPITE THE CABIN ATTENDANT REPEATEDLY ALERTING HIM TO THE PROB. WHEN THE CAPT ARRIVED, THE GATE PERSONNEL PRESSED FOR IMMEDIATE DEP DUE TO PAX CONNECTION TIME, ETC, AND DID NOT INFORM HIM OF THE LAVATORY PROB AND THE FLT DEPARTED WITHOUT PROPER LAVATORY SVC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.