An American Airlines Boeing 777 operating a transatlantic flight from Madrid to Dallas was forced to divert to New York on Tuesday after six of its eight lavatories stopped working, leaving just two available for the 287 people on board. The crew of flight AA37 declared a pan-pan on approach to New York JFK Airport (JFK), where it landed safely shortly after midday local time.

Air traffic control recordings reveal the pilots reported that “only two potties” were operational before declaring a pan-pan. With several hours of fuel still onboard, reports have also suggested the aircraft may have made an overweight landing at JFK. The widebody remained on the ground for almost three and a half hours before continuing to Dallas.

Six Of The Eight Lavatories Failed On American Airlines’ 777

Credit: Santi Rodriguez | Shutterstock

Flight AA37 departed Madrid Barajas Airport (MAD) at around 10:26 AM local time on October 6, on a transatlantic service to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) that typically takes close to 11 hours. The flight, which was operated by a 27-year-old Boeing 777-200ER, diverted to JFK before landing safely at 12:27 PM after spending approximately seven hours in the air.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the crew had reported an “inadequate number of operational lavatories,” with only two of eight lavatories working for a flight with 287 passengers and crew onboard. The flight crew declared a pan-pan, a distress call to indicate an urgent situation, while on approach to JFK. Per LiveATC.net, the pilot told the ground controller that:

“So we have only two potties operating on board for American 37.”

Two Working Toilets Weren’t Enough To Continue To Dallas

Credit: Skycolors | Shutterstock

Airlines are allowed to operate an aircraft with some lavatories out of service under approved minimum equipment list requirements. However, losing three-quarters of the lavatories with hours of flying still ahead is a different issue entirely. This can create problems with aisle queues as well as hygiene concerns, leading to the decision to divert in this scenario.

A similar situation occurred on an American flight from Dallas to London on Christmas Day in 2018, when a Boeing 777-300ER lost four of its 12 lavatories. Although there were eight remaining lavatories, the crew decided that the backlog of passengers gathering around the remaining toilets had become a security issue, prompting a diversion to JFK.

Reports have also suggested that, with more than four hours of fuel still onboard, the aircraft landed above its maximum landing weight, known as an overweight landing. Due to its higher weight, such landings can lead to overheated brakes and require mandatory inspections.

The Aircraft Departed Less Than 4 Hours Later

Credit: Colinmthompson | Shutterstock

Flight tracking data shows the aircraft departed JFK at 3:56 PM and landed in Dallas at 6:13 PM CDT, nearly 15 hours after leaving Madrid. Having landed at JFK at 12:27 PM, it spent less than four hours on the ground before departing. In a statement, American Airlines confirmed the jet underwent a maintenance inspection at JFK but has not disclosed what caused the multiple lavatory failures.

The airline also did not reveal whether all six broken lavatories were functional again before the plane continued to Dallas. Because the flight departed from Spain, it falls under the European Union’s EU261 regulation, which can entitle long-haul passengers to up to $670 (€600) depending on the length of delay and if the cause is considered an extraordinary circumstance.

The aircraft involved, registered N772AN, is one of 47 Boeing 777-200ERs in American’s fleet. It was delivered to the airline in 1999, making it more than 27 years old. American’s 777-200ERs are configured with 273 seats (37 in Flagship Business, 24 in Premium Economy, and 212 in the Main Cabin), meaning Flight AA37 was likely operating at or close to full capacity.