Narrative:

Passenger locked in aft lavatory. About 15 mins prior to arrival at bwi, the flight attendant called up to the cockpit to let me know that the aft lavatory door lock was broken and a passenger was trapped inside. I told them to keep working on the lock, try to get it open, and call me back. After 5 mins, I was notified that they were unable to open the door and the passenger was still trapped. (The seatbelt sign had been illuminated for the entire flight.) I decided to go back in the cabin to the aft lavatory to see if I might be able to extricate the trapped passenger. I went back to the aft lavatory to try and open it. I was worried about the passenger's safety in the event that a mishap occurred on landing. If an accident happened on landing and we had to evacuate/evacuation the aircraft because of a fire or other abnormality, I wanted to make sure I had done everything in my power to extricate the trapped passenger. After I got to the back, I was able to determine that the lavatory door lock had failed mechanically and the passenger had not barricaded himself in the lavatory. After exhausting all available means to open the door I determined that the passenger could not be extricated while we were airborne and advised him to situation tight until we landed. He seemed ok with that and I went back to the cockpit and made an uneventful approach and landing. Upon reaching the gate, maintenance came and was able to open the door and extricate the passenger after about 10 mins. Supplemental information from acn 542041: during our initial descent into bwi at approximately 100 DME, we were advised by the 'a' flight attendant that a passenger was stuck in the aft lavatory due to a problem with the door lock. The flight attendants advised the captain 5 mins later that they were still unable to release the door. Following the procedures in the fom, the 'a' flight attendant came to the cockpit while the captain went back to see if he could free the door and I continued to fly the aircraft. The flight attendant remained in the cockpit until the captain returned. An uneventful approach and landing was performed with the passenger in the aft lavatory. After arrival, it required several mechanics together to force the broken door open, release our passenger and perform the replacement/repairs to the door.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 PAX BECAME TRAPPED IN THE REAR LAVATORY WHEN THE DOOR LOCK JAMMED, AND THE DOOR COULD NOT BE OPENED.

Narrative: PAX LOCKED IN AFT LAVATORY. ABOUT 15 MINS PRIOR TO ARR AT BWI, THE FLT ATTENDANT CALLED UP TO THE COCKPIT TO LET ME KNOW THAT THE AFT LAVATORY DOOR LOCK WAS BROKEN AND A PAX WAS TRAPPED INSIDE. I TOLD THEM TO KEEP WORKING ON THE LOCK, TRY TO GET IT OPEN, AND CALL ME BACK. AFTER 5 MINS, I WAS NOTIFIED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR AND THE PAX WAS STILL TRAPPED. (THE SEATBELT SIGN HAD BEEN ILLUMINATED FOR THE ENTIRE FLT.) I DECIDED TO GO BACK IN THE CABIN TO THE AFT LAVATORY TO SEE IF I MIGHT BE ABLE TO EXTRICATE THE TRAPPED PAX. I WENT BACK TO THE AFT LAVATORY TO TRY AND OPEN IT. I WAS WORRIED ABOUT THE PAX'S SAFETY IN THE EVENT THAT A MISHAP OCCURRED ON LNDG. IF AN ACCIDENT HAPPENED ON LNDG AND WE HAD TO EVAC THE ACFT BECAUSE OF A FIRE OR OTHER ABNORMALITY, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I HAD DONE EVERYTHING IN MY PWR TO EXTRICATE THE TRAPPED PAX. AFTER I GOT TO THE BACK, I WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THE LAVATORY DOOR LOCK HAD FAILED MECHANICALLY AND THE PAX HAD NOT BARRICADED HIMSELF IN THE LAVATORY. AFTER EXHAUSTING ALL AVAILABLE MEANS TO OPEN THE DOOR I DETERMINED THAT THE PAX COULD NOT BE EXTRICATED WHILE WE WERE AIRBORNE AND ADVISED HIM TO SIT TIGHT UNTIL WE LANDED. HE SEEMED OK WITH THAT AND I WENT BACK TO THE COCKPIT AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL APCH AND LNDG. UPON REACHING THE GATE, MAINT CAME AND WAS ABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR AND EXTRICATE THE PAX AFTER ABOUT 10 MINS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 542041: DURING OUR INITIAL DSCNT INTO BWI AT APPROX 100 DME, WE WERE ADVISED BY THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT THAT A PAX WAS STUCK IN THE AFT LAVATORY DUE TO A PROB WITH THE DOOR LOCK. THE FLT ATTENDANTS ADVISED THE CAPT 5 MINS LATER THAT THEY WERE STILL UNABLE TO RELEASE THE DOOR. FOLLOWING THE PROCS IN THE FOM, THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT CAME TO THE COCKPIT WHILE THE CAPT WENT BACK TO SEE IF HE COULD FREE THE DOOR AND I CONTINUED TO FLY THE ACFT. THE FLT ATTENDANT REMAINED IN THE COCKPIT UNTIL THE CAPT RETURNED. AN UNEVENTFUL APCH AND LNDG WAS PERFORMED WITH THE PAX IN THE AFT LAVATORY. AFTER ARR, IT REQUIRED SEVERAL MECHS TOGETHER TO FORCE THE BROKEN DOOR OPEN, RELEASE OUR PAX AND PERFORM THE REPLACEMENT/REPAIRS TO THE DOOR.

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.