Tokyo - A US passenger plane bound for Seattle returned to a Japanese airport early Monday after its toilet flush system failed twice, a news report said.
Five of the six toilets of Delta Air Lines flight 182 stopped functioning soon after it left Kansai International Airport at 6 pm (0900 GMT) Sunday, prompting it to land at Narita International Airport near Tokyo, Kyodo News reported citing airport officials.
After repairs to the toilet system, the plane took off around 10:45 pm, only for the problem to recur.
Rather than put the passengers through the nine-hour flight over the Pacific without full use of the facilities, the decision was taken to return to Kansai, where it landed at 3:50 am Monday.
"I have never heard of an aircraft returning to its departure place due to a lavatory failure, which does not directly affect the safe operations of the plane," one airport official was quoted by Kyodo as saying.
Delta said the aircraft decided to return in order to prevent discomfort to their passengers, according to Kyodo. The company is investigating the cause of the flush failure.
None of the 228 people on board reported health problems, it said.
A friend of mine was on this flight and is none too happy.
