A Turkish Airlines flight from Denver International Airport to Istanbul was cancelled following a lavatory system malfunction that flooded the aircraft cabin with sewage water and faeces. The incident occurred on Saturday (May 30) as the plane was taxiing down the runway, forcing the pilot to abort the takeoff and return to the terminal gate.
Passengers initially reported a repulsive, rancid odour coming from a moist floor directly outside one of the onboard bathroom stalls. Farhang Bharucha, a traveller from Greenwood Village who was seated nearby with his family, noted that multiple passengers complained about the smell before departure, according to a report in The Denver Post.
However, the crew members stated that a few alternative seats were available. The situation quickly escalated when brown sewage water began dumping out of the toilet compartment onto the cabin floor, prompting the pilot to take urgent action.
Following the aircraft’s return to the gate, the airline cancelled the flight entirely, leaving hundreds of travellers stranded. They were told to book hotels and sort themselves with the airline promising to reimburse the money later. However, the airline refused to rebook the stranded passengers on any of its partner carriers, which left Bharucha and his family stuck in the city.
As per Bharucha, one of the Turkish Airlines officials attributed the cancellation to an “act of God”, a legal definition typically reserved for natural disasters or acts of war. He strongly criticised the airline for an absolute lack of responsibility and a total absence of communication, accusing them of trying to cover up the incident. Turkish Airlines has not issued a statement about the incident.
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United Airlines Flight Returns Mid-Air
Earlier this week, a United Airlines flight bound for Spain was forced to turn back mid-air after a Bluetooth device name triggered a security scare onboard. As per the air traffic control (ATC), the security came to inspect the aircraft after someone named their Bluetooth device “BOMB”.
The Boeing 767 aircraft was carrying around 190 passengers and 12 crew members when it turned around. After landing, the port authority police swept the aircraft. Meanwhile, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers re-screened passengers before boarding again.
