Here’s What The SpiceJet Crew Wrote In The Note To The Passenger Locked Inside The Toilet

Getting locked inside a toilet is something that most people dread. It often leads to panic if one notices that the lock inside the toilet is not opening. Imagine the horror if it happens with someone mid-flight, well, it did happen recently with a SpiceJet passenger. A male passenger onboard a Mumbai-Bengaluru SpiceJet flight flying to Bengaluru got locked inside the toilet for an hour due to a malfunction in the door lock.

Reportedly, the passenger booked a ticket on the 14th row of the Mumbai-Bengaluru flight. He ended up covering the entire journey inside the toilet. We can just picture his plight as he must have experienced claustrophobia for this traumatizing incident.

A SpiceJet passenger was trapped in the toilet mid-air

The man travelling from Mumbai got trapped inside the lavatory for almost the entire travel duration. The male passenger went to the loo to relieve himself after the seat belt sign went off after take-off from Mumbai. He was rescued when the flight landed at the Bengaluru airport. He had to wait in the lavatory until an engineer opened the door at the Bengaluru airport.

According to reports, the unfortunate incident took place on a SpiceJet flight that took off from the Mumbai airport at 2 a.m. on Tuesday and reached the Bengaluru airport around four in the morning – 3.42 a.m. After landing the ground staff sent an engineer on the flight and retrieved the man from the toilet.

The distressed passenger stuck inside the toilet was however comforted by the cabin crew

When the staff onboard later got to know about the man who went to the toilet and got locked inside, they tried helping him. But things didn’t work out and he could not be rescued immediately. The crew managed to communicate with him by sending a handwritten note inside the toilet through the gap.

They asked him not to panic and assured him that he would be rescued once the flight landed. They also suggested him to shut the commode lid and take a seat until the flight landed. The note read,

“Sir, we tried our best to open the door. However, we could not open. Do not panic, we are landing in a few minutes. So please close the commode lid and sit on it and secure yourself. As soon as the main door is open, the engineer will come. Do not panic”

Passenger trapped inside @flyspicejet plane toilet as doorlock malfunctions, rescued aftr flight lands in Bengaluru Airport
In a harrowing incident midair, man trapped in lavatory thru Mumbai to B’luru flight. Crew advise thru slip slid-in to sit on commode 4 landing @BLRAirport pic.twitter.com/DVRfyuuLj9

— Petlee Peter (@petleepeter) January 17, 2024

Here is what SpiceJet has to say about the incident

SpiceJet released a statement that the passenger was provided with assistance throughout the journey. The airline expressed that the passenger was also provided with immediate medical support upon landing. The statement read,

“On 16 January, a passenger unfortunately got stuck inside the lavatory for about an hour on SpiceJet flight operating from Mumbai to Bengaluru, while the aircraft was airborne due to a malfunction in the door lock”

The airline further added,

“Throughout the journey, our crew provided assistance and guidance to the passenger. Upon arrival, an engineer opened the lavatory door, and the passenger received immediate medical support. SpiceJet regrets and apologizes for the inconvenience caused to the passenger.”

The airline also said that the passenger is being provided a full refund.

Update: Affected @flyspicejet passenger given full refund of his flight ticket from Mumbai to Bengaluru by airline as he was trapped and flew in the toilet for most of the flight. He landed @BLRAirport seated inside the lavatory. Was in a state of shock when rescued in Bengaluru

— Petlee Peter (@petleepeter) January 17, 2024

Here is how netizens reacted to this tragic incident

Now he will use even his home toilet with the doors open. 😅

— Walter Red (@WalterScientist) January 17, 2024

First Class, Business Class, Economy Class and a new one now – Toilet Class 😅😅

— Aditya Kondawar (@aditya_kondawar) January 17, 2024

Oops! Drama in the air!

— Sriram (彬彬), MBA MA BTECHIT (@svmbaekohau) January 17, 2024

Can this be a saleable seat at some extra cost in the near future; buyer can then auction rights to use the toilet to other passengers on a per minute / per flush / per sheet of toilet paper used / and extra for sachet of soap, shampoo, pan masala etcetc

— वीरेश मलिक Malik Veeresh ವೀರೇಶ್ ಮಲಿಕ್ Saturn-Nexon (@MalikVeeresh) January 17, 2024

Checked with a friend who works with a major International Airline and he says doors can be opened from outside and if need be the full door can be removed. Not sure if this incident is true or crew didnt knew how to!

— Deba (@debazden) January 17, 2024

This makes me frightened for my upcoming spice jet flight.

— Sunny Grack (@GRACKSUNNY) January 17, 2024

This can be so claustrophobic :/

— S (@yelllow_wooods) January 17, 2024

This happened a day after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) published a report suggesting that flight problems and refunds comprised a majority of the total 712 passenger-related complaints received by domestic airlines during December 2023.

An incident like this can seriously lead to fear of using the loo on flights. We hope the airlines focus on maintenance and train the crew members to handle such situations in a better way.