MD80 passenger was caught smoking in-flight in the aircraft lavatory.

Attributes
ACN	563338
Time
Date	200210
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zjx.artcc
State Reference	FL
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zjx.artcc tower : ord.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 7 flight attendant time total : 22 flight attendant time type : 5
ASRS Report	563338
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger misconduct non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : 1 2
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

After the initial beverage service in coach and during the cruise phase of flight, a male passenger exited the aft left lavatory and flight attendants and passenger immediately smelled smoke. Flight attendants checked the lavatories, smelled cigarette smoke in the aft left lavatory and checked for fire. Flight attendant #2 poured club soda into the trash receptacle in case of smoldering paper. Flight attendant reported the incident via interphone to the captain. I approached the passenger in question and told him that we had a report of suspected smoking in the lavatory. His clothing and breath smelled of cigarette smoke. He neither denied nor admitted smoking, but agreed not to smoke on board. At that time I gave him a verbal warning. He was compliant. The captain notified us that we were required to fill out an in-flight disturbance report regarding the incident. I again approached the male passenger as flight attendant #2 stood nearby. I informed him that FARS require the filing of a report regarding the suspected smoking in the lavatory and that I was required to obtain his photo identify for his name and address. He denied smoking in-flight and explained that he had been using a flame to burn off thread from his shirt sleeve while in the lavatory. I explained that burning threads would not result in the strong odor of cigarette smoke. He agreed but was reluctant to give me his identify. I explained that if he did not give me his identify as requested, the captain would call ahead to lga and the proper auths would meet the flight and obtain his identify at that time. I informed the passenger that he was subject to prosecution for failure to adhere to FAA regulations. He gave me his identify and I filled out the disturbance report and gave him the lower half of the top (white) copy. A female passenger witnessed the form. Flight attendant #2 served as a second witness. We were well into descent into lga by this time, so I informed the captain of our success in obtaining the necessary information. We reviewed the form after arrival in lga. I kept the yellow flight attendant copy and the captain took the remaining copies of the forms to the agent working the flight. Subsequently, a representative of the company's flight service obtained copies of the report from the captain.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 PAX WAS CAUGHT SMOKING INFLT IN THE ACFT LAVATORY.

Narrative: AFTER THE INITIAL BEVERAGE SVC IN COACH AND DURING THE CRUISE PHASE OF FLT, A MALE PAX EXITED THE AFT L LAVATORY AND FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX IMMEDIATELY SMELLED SMOKE. FLT ATTENDANTS CHKED THE LAVATORIES, SMELLED CIGARETTE SMOKE IN THE AFT L LAVATORY AND CHKED FOR FIRE. FLT ATTENDANT #2 POURED CLUB SODA INTO THE TRASH RECEPTACLE IN CASE OF SMOLDERING PAPER. FLT ATTENDANT RPTED THE INCIDENT VIA INTERPHONE TO THE CAPT. I APCHED THE PAX IN QUESTION AND TOLD HIM THAT WE HAD A RPT OF SUSPECTED SMOKING IN THE LAVATORY. HIS CLOTHING AND BREATH SMELLED OF CIGARETTE SMOKE. HE NEITHER DENIED NOR ADMITTED SMOKING, BUT AGREED NOT TO SMOKE ON BOARD. AT THAT TIME I GAVE HIM A VERBAL WARNING. HE WAS COMPLIANT. THE CAPT NOTIFIED US THAT WE WERE REQUIRED TO FILL OUT AN INFLT DISTURBANCE RPT REGARDING THE INCIDENT. I AGAIN APCHED THE MALE PAX AS FLT ATTENDANT #2 STOOD NEARBY. I INFORMED HIM THAT FARS REQUIRE THE FILING OF A RPT REGARDING THE SUSPECTED SMOKING IN THE LAVATORY AND THAT I WAS REQUIRED TO OBTAIN HIS PHOTO IDENT FOR HIS NAME AND ADDRESS. HE DENIED SMOKING INFLT AND EXPLAINED THAT HE HAD BEEN USING A FLAME TO BURN OFF THREAD FROM HIS SHIRT SLEEVE WHILE IN THE LAVATORY. I EXPLAINED THAT BURNING THREADS WOULD NOT RESULT IN THE STRONG ODOR OF CIGARETTE SMOKE. HE AGREED BUT WAS RELUCTANT TO GIVE ME HIS IDENT. I EXPLAINED THAT IF HE DID NOT GIVE ME HIS IDENT AS REQUESTED, THE CAPT WOULD CALL AHEAD TO LGA AND THE PROPER AUTHS WOULD MEET THE FLT AND OBTAIN HIS IDENT AT THAT TIME. I INFORMED THE PAX THAT HE WAS SUBJECT TO PROSECUTION FOR FAILURE TO ADHERE TO FAA REGS. HE GAVE ME HIS IDENT AND I FILLED OUT THE DISTURBANCE RPT AND GAVE HIM THE LOWER HALF OF THE TOP (WHITE) COPY. A FEMALE PAX WITNESSED THE FORM. FLT ATTENDANT #2 SERVED AS A SECOND WITNESS. WE WERE WELL INTO DSCNT INTO LGA BY THIS TIME, SO I INFORMED THE CAPT OF OUR SUCCESS IN OBTAINING THE NECESSARY INFO. WE REVIEWED THE FORM AFTER ARR IN LGA. I KEPT THE YELLOW FLT ATTENDANT COPY AND THE CAPT TOOK THE REMAINING COPIES OF THE FORMS TO THE AGENT WORKING THE FLT. SUBSEQUENTLY, A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMPANY'S FLT SERVICE OBTAINED COPIES OF THE RPT FROM THE CAPT.

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.