Had to post this situation because it was so off the wall and funny even though it was a little annoying...
Flying home from HSV yesterday afternoon flight 6062, HSV-ATL departing 4:41pm. GA announces there will be a slight delay due to a mechanical problem.
4:45pm comes and goes, GA announces the lavatory door is broken and they are trying to fix it. 5pm and the natives are not only restless but also irate....the common thread of pax comments: There are no little kids, we're capable of not sh***ing our pants for 30 minutes!
A little while late the FA on the plane comes out and starts pink tagging the gate-checked bags. She makes the announcement that when they begin boarding she wants us "on the plane and in your seats pronto so we can get out of here--the flight is 22 minutes from wheels up to touchdown."
About 5:15 the GA announces that they have decided that the lav won't be available for use during the flight and we're going to board in about 5 min so if you need to go, do so now (meanwhile the pilot has already hit the head). Oh yeah, FAA regs require the door to be locked so the mechanic is off to find something that can do the job.
We get on board and the mechanic comes barreling down the aisle--pushing pax aside in the process
--he's going to secure the door.....with DUCT TAPE! McGyver would be proud!
We take off at 5:45pm and then we get the rest of the story...it turns out the lav door was broken because the FA went to the loo prior to landing and couldn't get out!!!
So they had to land with her stuck in the lav and then the PIC and FO had to break the door to get her out! She was so mortified you could tell she was blushing (she's African American). She was a trooper though...during the in-flight announcements she mentioned that "...since the flight is only 22 minutes the seatbelt sign will not be turned off, I mean, think about it, the lavatory is closed so where you gonna go?" ^
I thought that I still had a shot at catching my connecting flight but forgot about the time change to EST.
Only the pax going to Miami were able to make their flight. I lucked out in that DL got me a hotel voucher--downtown--but others didn't fare as well and didn't get room vouchers because DL ran out. Color me shocked that there were some 20 people in the checkin line at my hotel...all with DL vouchers!