The crew of Philippine Airlines Flight PR113 faced an extraordinary in-flight emergency when all 11 toilets on their Boeing 777-300ER stopped working during a 15-hour journey from Los Angeles to Manila.
The incident occurred approximately six hours from the nearest landing point in Guam. While an emergency diversion was considered, the captain decided to continue the flight to Manila.
Videos shared by crew members and reported by InsiderPH show crew manually scooping waste from the toilet bowls into adjacent sinks to prevent overflow, a process not supported by any international airline protocol and contrary to sanitation and occupational safety standards. The cleaning took place behind closed doors, so no passengers formally complained.
The flight landed safely in Manila as scheduled. However, the Philippine Airlines union criticised the airline, accusing management of prioritising profits and punctuality over the safety and wellbeing of passengers and crew. The union also stated that no further investigation has been conducted, raising concerns about the risk of similar incidents in the future.
It remains unclear whether Philippine Airlines will implement internal reviews or revise protocols to prevent another toilet failure mid-flight.
