American 119 Overfly Airport... Man in Lavatory!! KLAX 5-22-10
American 119 aborts its landing at LAX because a passenger entered the lavatory during final approach.
Summary
While on final approach to Los Angeles International Airport, the pilots of American 119 informed the tower that a passenger had entered the lavatory. FAA regulations require all passengers to be seated with seatbelts fastened for landing, forcing the aircraft to abort its landing and circle back. The flight eventually landed safely on a parallel runway after being re-sequenced by air traffic control.
Analysis
This incident highlights a common but disruptive issue in commercial aviation: passengers failing to follow the "Fasten Seatbelt" sign during critical phases of flight. As American 119 was cleared to land on runway 25 Left, the crew noticed a passenger had vacated their seat to use the lavatory. Because an aircraft cannot legally or safely land while a passenger is unsecured—especially inside a lavatory where they could be severely injured during a hard landing or emergency braking—the pilots elected to overfly the airport and "go around."
The recording captures the professional coordination between the flight crew and LAX tower. The controller immediately provides vectors and an altitude to maintain, handing the aircraft off to SoCal Departure to be integrated back into the arrival flow. This maneuver adds significant cost in fuel and time, and it disrupts the arrival sequence for other aircraft in the busy Los Angeles basin.
Upon returning to the tower frequency for their second landing attempt, the situation becomes more complex due to spacing. American 119 is flying significantly faster (50 knots) than the aircraft three miles ahead of them. To maintain safety and avoid a second go-around caused by a loss of separation, the controller switches them from runway 25 Left to the parallel runway, 25 Right. The pilots quickly adjust their approach, demonstrating the high level of situational awareness required in high-density airspace.
In the aftermath of such incidents, the passenger is typically met by airline supervisors or security upon arrival. While not a mechanical emergency, it serves as a technical example of how "sterile cockpit" rules and passenger safety regulations dictate flight operations, even seconds before touchdown. The controller's final comment, "thanks for your help," acknowledges the pilots' flexibility in switching runways to help the tower manage the traffic flow they inadvertently disrupted.