A pilot has issued a stark warning about the one warning on aircraft that passengers should never disregard, as it could lead to “catastrophic consequences.”
Frequent flyers will be well-acquainted with the sign on the bathroom cautioning against flushing anything other than toilet paper down the bowl. Now, Captain Steve, an American Airlines pilot who often shares insights and tips from his high-flying life on TikTok, shared further alarming information regarding the science behind this advisory.
“So you’re in the aeroplane bathroom and you’ve taken care of your business, and then you see that sign,” he began, showing his 122,000 followers an example image of such a notice, which reads: “Place trash in waste container near sink. Placing object in toilet may cause system failure.”
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While this might seem overly cautious, Steve confirmed its accuracy, suggesting even graver repercussions could ensue. He posed the question: “Is it because it’s going to back-up the system?” before revealing: “Yeah, it might do that, but it might also be much more serious than that.”
Steve went on to explain that there is a flap on the outside of the plane which is kept shut by pressure. However, if an inappropriate item were to prevent the flap from closing, all the blue sanitising liquid within the system would leak out and instantly freeze.
Captain Steve’s chilling warning about the risks of ice accumulation on planes has captured the attention of passengers following his recent comments. “That gigantic ice cube [that forms] could then fly off the aeroplane and through one of the engines – it’s happened in the past and it had catastrophic consequences,” he remarked, cautioning travellers to “always pay attention” to signs to avoid “bringing the whole aeroplane down.”
His advice clearly resonated with many of his 121,000 followers, as one wrote: “All of my flight anxiety that you’ve cured has immediately returned.” Another shared their unease: “Captain Steve, with all due respect – I could’ve gone a lifetime without knowing this.”
Further concerns were voiced by another commenter who said: “Wish you hadn’t shared this. That info can get into wrong hands. I’m already a nervous flyer. Thanks.” And the same fear was echoed by another who noted: “Oh god! Now every time I see someone heading to the bathroom I’m gonna be terrified.”
Flight Radar 24 recalls an incident from May 2023, when ice from a leaking lavatory sink led to partial loss of aileron control on Delta Air Lines flight DL211. “Whilst this is rarely a concern for people on the ground, it can impact on board systems,” the website reports.
“In reality, such occurrences are exceptionally rare. Airlines and aviation authorities take such incidents very seriously and investigate them thoroughly to prevent them from happening in the future.”