Narrative:

Shortly after takeoff, the #1 flight attendant, called me on the interphone and asked that I come to the front of the aircraft to verify if there was the odor of cigarette smoke coming from the first class lavatory. I stepped close to the lavatory door and agreed that there was an odor of cigarette smoke coming from behind the lavatory door. I waited for the passenger to exit the lavatory. When she did, the odor was definitely strong of cigarette smoke. I approached the passenger who exited, and asked her if she had just smoked a cigarette in the lavatory. She said 'no' and I told her that it is apparent that she had because of the strong odor of smoke on her person and lingering in the lavatory. I told her that it is a federal offense of law regarding smoking on the aircraft and could be punishable by a strict fine and that she must cease and desist such activity for the duration of the flight. She said she was not aware of the laws regarding smoking on the aircraft. I then told her that she needed to 'cease and desist' any further occurrence of smoking on the aircraft for the duration of the flight or she will be subjected to the penalties under federal law. She reluctantly agreed and returned to her seat. I then assessed the lavatory for any remnants of a smoldering cigarette and found none. An added observation is that when she returned to her seat, she was walking with a disabling limp. I then learned that she was a wheelchair passenger. The rest of the flight remained uneventful and she remained in her seat for the duration. Upon landing in dfw, during taxi in to the gate, passenger left her seat and proceeded to the aft of the aircraft. The #4 flight attendant stopped passenger and told her that she must remain seated during taxi until the fasten seatbelt sign was turned off. Passenger then said that she has a medical condition affecting her bladder and that she couldn't help it, but had to use the lavatory immediately. We then agreed and let her go and called the cockpit to let them know she was in the lavatory. They instructed us to tell her to take a seat in the immediate aft of the aircraft as she left the lavatory. After a few mins, the #1 flight attendant called me and asked me if she was smoking in the lavatory again since I was sitting there on the jumpseat right next to lavatory. I told her that I had not detected any odor of cigarette smoke at that time. Shortly thereafter, passenger exited the lavatory and I once again immediately smelled cigarette smoke coming from the lavatory. I immediately told the #4 flight attendant who then called the #1 flight attendant and reported the incident. The #1 flight attendant told passenger to situation down in xxd and she complied. Then #1 flight attendant called back and told us that the cockpit wanted her to stay on the aircraft at the gate. About this time we arrived at the gate and I disarmed my door and checked the lavatory again for a smoldering cigarette. Again I found no burning cigarettes. I went to speak with passenger and told her that as she exited the lavatory, I once again smelled cigarette smoke and that she is to remain on board by the captain's orders. I told her that the odor of cigarette smoke was once again undeniable and that this is her second offense on one given flight and that a decision would now have to be made if she will be allowed to continue on her connecting flight to ord. Passenger was becoming visibly shaken and asked for a glass of water to take medication for her illness. She told me she had to smoke to help alleviate the pain and anxiety associated with her medical condition. She said she was 'becoming a paraplegic.' I gave her some water and she began to apologize profusely. I told her that cigarette smoking on the aircraft is not permitted under any circumstances because of the safety concerns that it may lead to a fire. She then said she would give me all of her cigarettes to prove that she would not smoke on the next flight and I agreed. She gave me 3 packs of cigarettes and she suggested I throw them away in which I did. At that time the #1 flight attendant called and told me that the passenger service supervisor wanted to know if I wanted to press charges. I said I would be right up and on my way, passenger was now crying. I went to the front of the aircraft and the passenger service supervisor asked me if I wanted to press charges. I said 'no', but that a decision must be made by the air carrier passenger complaint supervisor as to whether or not she will be allowed to continue on her connecting flight. I told the passenger service supervisor that she had given up her cigarettes and that I tossed them in the trash. At that time, passenger came to the front aircraft door and was seated in a waiting wheelchair on the jetbridge. As she was settling in, I began to ask for her name and address and as I began to write down her name, the passenger service supervisor interjected and told me that it was not necessary and that he had all of the information on her passenger record. The passenger service supervisor informed me that the air carrier passenger complaint supervisor was allowing her to continue on her connecting flight and that the crew to ord would be informed of the incident and to watch her activity on her flight. I then obtained a copy of her passenger record as I watched her being transported to her next gate on the cart. There was also another woman that was traveling with her and at one point, passenger told us not to let her know what was going on. However, she learned of the incidents on the jetbridge and kept a low-key presence.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLT ATTENDANT CAUGHT A PAX SMOKING IN THE ACFT LAVATORY 2 TIMES.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER TKOF, THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT, CALLED ME ON THE INTERPHONE AND ASKED THAT I COME TO THE FRONT OF THE ACFT TO VERIFY IF THERE WAS THE ODOR OF CIGARETTE SMOKE COMING FROM THE FIRST CLASS LAVATORY. I STEPPED CLOSE TO THE LAVATORY DOOR AND AGREED THAT THERE WAS AN ODOR OF CIGARETTE SMOKE COMING FROM BEHIND THE LAVATORY DOOR. I WAITED FOR THE PAX TO EXIT THE LAVATORY. WHEN SHE DID, THE ODOR WAS DEFINITELY STRONG OF CIGARETTE SMOKE. I APCHED THE PAX WHO EXITED, AND ASKED HER IF SHE HAD JUST SMOKED A CIGARETTE IN THE LAVATORY. SHE SAID 'NO' AND I TOLD HER THAT IT IS APPARENT THAT SHE HAD BECAUSE OF THE STRONG ODOR OF SMOKE ON HER PERSON AND LINGERING IN THE LAVATORY. I TOLD HER THAT IT IS A FEDERAL OFFENSE OF LAW REGARDING SMOKING ON THE ACFT AND COULD BE PUNISHABLE BY A STRICT FINE AND THAT SHE MUST CEASE AND DESIST SUCH ACTIVITY FOR THE DURATION OF THE FLT. SHE SAID SHE WAS NOT AWARE OF THE LAWS REGARDING SMOKING ON THE ACFT. I THEN TOLD HER THAT SHE NEEDED TO 'CEASE AND DESIST' ANY FURTHER OCCURRENCE OF SMOKING ON THE ACFT FOR THE DURATION OF THE FLT OR SHE WILL BE SUBJECTED TO THE PENALTIES UNDER FEDERAL LAW. SHE RELUCTANTLY AGREED AND RETURNED TO HER SEAT. I THEN ASSESSED THE LAVATORY FOR ANY REMNANTS OF A SMOLDERING CIGARETTE AND FOUND NONE. AN ADDED OBSERVATION IS THAT WHEN SHE RETURNED TO HER SEAT, SHE WAS WALKING WITH A DISABLING LIMP. I THEN LEARNED THAT SHE WAS A WHEELCHAIR PAX. THE REST OF THE FLT REMAINED UNEVENTFUL AND SHE REMAINED IN HER SEAT FOR THE DURATION. UPON LNDG IN DFW, DURING TAXI IN TO THE GATE, PAX LEFT HER SEAT AND PROCEEDED TO THE AFT OF THE ACFT. THE #4 FLT ATTENDANT STOPPED PAX AND TOLD HER THAT SHE MUST REMAIN SEATED DURING TAXI UNTIL THE FASTEN SEATBELT SIGN WAS TURNED OFF. PAX THEN SAID THAT SHE HAS A MEDICAL CONDITION AFFECTING HER BLADDER AND THAT SHE COULDN'T HELP IT, BUT HAD TO USE THE LAVATORY IMMEDIATELY. WE THEN AGREED AND LET HER GO AND CALLED THE COCKPIT TO LET THEM KNOW SHE WAS IN THE LAVATORY. THEY INSTRUCTED US TO TELL HER TO TAKE A SEAT IN THE IMMEDIATE AFT OF THE ACFT AS SHE LEFT THE LAVATORY. AFTER A FEW MINS, THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT CALLED ME AND ASKED ME IF SHE WAS SMOKING IN THE LAVATORY AGAIN SINCE I WAS SITTING THERE ON THE JUMPSEAT RIGHT NEXT TO LAVATORY. I TOLD HER THAT I HAD NOT DETECTED ANY ODOR OF CIGARETTE SMOKE AT THAT TIME. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, PAX EXITED THE LAVATORY AND I ONCE AGAIN IMMEDIATELY SMELLED CIGARETTE SMOKE COMING FROM THE LAVATORY. I IMMEDIATELY TOLD THE #4 FLT ATTENDANT WHO THEN CALLED THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT AND RPTED THE INCIDENT. THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT TOLD PAX TO SIT DOWN IN XXD AND SHE COMPLIED. THEN #1 FLT ATTENDANT CALLED BACK AND TOLD US THAT THE COCKPIT WANTED HER TO STAY ON THE ACFT AT THE GATE. ABOUT THIS TIME WE ARRIVED AT THE GATE AND I DISARMED MY DOOR AND CHKED THE LAVATORY AGAIN FOR A SMOLDERING CIGARETTE. AGAIN I FOUND NO BURNING CIGARETTES. I WENT TO SPEAK WITH PAX AND TOLD HER THAT AS SHE EXITED THE LAVATORY, I ONCE AGAIN SMELLED CIGARETTE SMOKE AND THAT SHE IS TO REMAIN ON BOARD BY THE CAPT'S ORDERS. I TOLD HER THAT THE ODOR OF CIGARETTE SMOKE WAS ONCE AGAIN UNDENIABLE AND THAT THIS IS HER SECOND OFFENSE ON ONE GIVEN FLT AND THAT A DECISION WOULD NOW HAVE TO BE MADE IF SHE WILL BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE ON HER CONNECTING FLT TO ORD. PAX WAS BECOMING VISIBLY SHAKEN AND ASKED FOR A GLASS OF WATER TO TAKE MEDICATION FOR HER ILLNESS. SHE TOLD ME SHE HAD TO SMOKE TO HELP ALLEVIATE THE PAIN AND ANXIETY ASSOCIATED WITH HER MEDICAL CONDITION. SHE SAID SHE WAS 'BECOMING A PARAPLEGIC.' I GAVE HER SOME WATER AND SHE BEGAN TO APOLOGIZE PROFUSELY. I TOLD HER THAT CIGARETTE SMOKING ON THE ACFT IS NOT PERMITTED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY CONCERNS THAT IT MAY LEAD TO A FIRE. SHE THEN SAID SHE WOULD GIVE ME ALL OF HER CIGARETTES TO PROVE THAT SHE WOULD NOT SMOKE ON THE NEXT FLT AND I AGREED. SHE GAVE ME 3 PACKS OF CIGARETTES AND SHE SUGGESTED I THROW THEM AWAY IN WHICH I DID. AT THAT TIME THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT CALLED AND TOLD ME THAT THE PAX SVC SUPVR WANTED TO KNOW IF I WANTED TO PRESS CHARGES. I SAID I WOULD BE RIGHT UP AND ON MY WAY, PAX WAS NOW CRYING. I WENT TO THE FRONT OF THE ACFT AND THE PAX SVC SUPVR ASKED ME IF I WANTED TO PRESS CHARGES. I SAID 'NO', BUT THAT A DECISION MUST BE MADE BY THE ACR PAX COMPLAINT SUPVR AS TO WHETHER OR NOT SHE WILL BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE ON HER CONNECTING FLT. I TOLD THE PAX SVC SUPVR THAT SHE HAD GIVEN UP HER CIGARETTES AND THAT I TOSSED THEM IN THE TRASH. AT THAT TIME, PAX CAME TO THE FRONT ACFT DOOR AND WAS SEATED IN A WAITING WHEELCHAIR ON THE JETBRIDGE. AS SHE WAS SETTLING IN, I BEGAN TO ASK FOR HER NAME AND ADDRESS AND AS I BEGAN TO WRITE DOWN HER NAME, THE PAX SVC SUPVR INTERJECTED AND TOLD ME THAT IT WAS NOT NECESSARY AND THAT HE HAD ALL OF THE INFO ON HER PAX RECORD. THE PAX SVC SUPVR INFORMED ME THAT THE ACR PAX COMPLAINT SUPVR WAS ALLOWING HER TO CONTINUE ON HER CONNECTING FLT AND THAT THE CREW TO ORD WOULD BE INFORMED OF THE INCIDENT AND TO WATCH HER ACTIVITY ON HER FLT. I THEN OBTAINED A COPY OF HER PAX RECORD AS I WATCHED HER BEING TRANSPORTED TO HER NEXT GATE ON THE CART. THERE WAS ALSO ANOTHER WOMAN THAT WAS TRAVELING WITH HER AND AT ONE POINT, PAX TOLD US NOT TO LET HER KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON. HOWEVER, SHE LEARNED OF THE INCIDENTS ON THE JETBRIDGE AND KEPT A LOW-KEY PRESENCE.

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.