Flight Attendant Forced to Scoop Human Waste from Airplane Toilet Mid-Flight

A long-haul flight turned into a nightmare at 35,000 feet after a bathroom malfunction forced a flight attendant to manually scoop human waste out of an airplane toilet mid-flight — using a drink carton.

The shocking incident was captured in a YouTube video showing a male crew member collecting chunks of feces from the lavatory toilet and dumping them into the sink as the plane cruised toward its destination.

At the time of the incident, the Boeing 777 was flying from California to Manila. According to airline officials, a technical and operational review concluded it would be better to handle the issue onboard rather than divert the plane to Guam — a move that would have added roughly six hours to the journey.

Despite the disturbing workaround, the plan ultimately succeeded. Airline representatives later said the toilet was functioning normally by the time the plane began its final descent into Manila.

“Based on the crew’s final report, normal lavatory function was observed during final approach, and the flight was completed without further incident,” the airline said in a statement. “We recognize that the situation caused inconvenience to our passengers and crew, and we appreciate their patience and understanding.”

Philippine Airlines also praised its employees, saying the flight and cabin crew acted professionally and followed established procedures while prioritizing passenger welfare.

Behind the scenes, however, the situation reportedly sparked outrage among flight attendants. According to travel site One Mile at a Time, crew members accused the airline of valuing schedule and cost savings over worker safety and dignity in a report filed with their union.

An airline spokesperson said an internal investigation was underway to “establish facts,” adding that it would be premature to comment further while the review is ongoing.

Aviation analyst Matthew Klint of Live and Let’s Fly called the incident a worst-case scenario, noting that when multiple lavatories fail on a long transpacific flight, waste can accumulate quickly.

“Simply closing the bathrooms is not viable on a long transpacific flight,” Klint wrote, adding that uncontrolled overflow could be even worse than a carefully managed containment effort.

He acknowledged that continuing to the final destination avoided a multi-hour diversion and potential overnight delays, but emphasized that handling biohazard waste is not part of standard flight attendant training — even with gloves and safety precautions.

In the end, Klint said he could understand why airline officials viewed the decision as “the lesser evil,” and why the responsibility ultimately fell on the flight crew — even if it made the journey unforgettable for all the wrong reasons.