You are minding your own business at the top of climb when...

[mshunter]

Possibly not look so far down range for a pit stop. By the time the lav is full, it's to late. Picking up the extra few knots may have saved a few minutes at best. Try at my best to get dispatch on the phone with where I am bailing out to and have a lav cart and fuel truck waiting. There is no need for a gate.

Oh, and give the FA a bunch of ribbing for not checking that before we pushed back. It's an honest mistake. But one that should only happen once.

 

[Autothrust Blue]

Possibly not look so far down range for a pit stop. By the time the lav is full, it's to late. Picking up the extra few knots may have saved a few minutes at best. Try at my best to get dispatch on the phone with where I am bailing out to and have a lav cart and fuel truck waiting. There is no need for a gate.

Oh, and give the FA a bunch of ribbing for not checking that before we pushed back. It's an honest mistake. But one that should only happen once.

We don't have a gauge. We have two "idiot lights." Which is unfortunate, but again, it's "supposed" to be done every time.

And, also, there is a need for a gate - mostly because my FOM says we can't fuel without a floor-level exit available, but details.

 

[ctab5060X]

Possibly not look so far down range for a pit stop. By the time the lav is full, it's to late. Picking up the extra few knots may have saved a few minutes at best. Try at my best to get dispatch on the phone with where I am bailing out to and have a lav cart and fuel truck waiting. There is no need for a gate.

Oh, and give the FA a bunch of ribbing for not checking that before we pushed back. It's an honest mistake. But one that should only happen once.

...and the first "idiot light" doesn't come on until 75% full.

As far as looking so far down range, sometimes dispatch has reasons for going that far. There are tons of variables that go into a decision like that, and being at the tip of the spear we can't always see how all the variables come together to arrive at where you end up going for lag service.

With my diversion, we were told repeatedly that the originating station had dumped the lav, leading dispatch and MOC to think it might be a sensor or indicating problem. Therefore we not only needed a lav cart/truck, but a facility that could handle the aircraft plus non-contract maintenance.

As it turned out, going a little further down range gave us time to be re-released, set up, descend normally, etc.

As far as not needing a gate, you just can't pull up and dump a lav and continue. You have no idea what is wrong with the lav (is it just full, or is it clogged, etc.) and holding passengers on an aircraft away from a gate with no facilities available is not a smart decision. Get a gate, deplane, get the problem fixed, re-dispatch to your original destination, board up, and go.

 

[mshunter]

We don't have a gauge. We have two "idiot lights." Which is unfortunate, but again, it's "supposed" to be done every time.

And, also, there is a need for a gate - mostly because my FOM says we can't fuel without a floor-level exit available, but details.

By your own admission, you waited hours after noticing the "idiot light," while some stations were less than an hour away. I guess I'm confused as to why you'd ask a "WWYD" question, then make excuses as to why they don't work, when it seems you had the outs you could have used, which I suggested.

Texas to the west coast, and you can't find somewhere to stop with all the tools at your disposal? Now the people in the back have to hold it?

 

[mshunter]

...and the first "idiot light" doesn't come on until 75% full.

As far as looking so far down range, sometimes dispatch has reasons for going that far. There are tons of variables that go into a decision like that, and being at the tip of the spear we can't always see how all the variables come together to arrive at where you end up going for lag service.

With my diversion, we were told repeatedly that the originating station had dumped the lav, leading dispatch and MOC to think it might be a sensor or indicating problem. Therefore we not only needed a lav cart/truck, but a facility that could handle the aircraft plus non-contract maintenance.

As it turned out, going a little further down range gave us time to be re-released, set up, descend normally, etc.

As far as not needing a gate, you just can't pull up and dump a lav and continue. You have no idea what is wrong with the lav (is it just full, or is it clogged, etc.) and holding passengers on an aircraft away from a gate with no facilities available is not a smart decision. Get a gate, deplane, get the problem fixed, re-dispatch to your original destination, board up, and go.

Stop the whole operation because there might be a bad sensor in the Lav? IMO, bad plan. Pull up to a parking spot, like I said, sans gate (I've never parked where their wasn't a bridge, or a way to deplane passengers), dump the lav and see how much comes out. Make a decision whether it's a broken sensor or not(which it doesn't sound like) and continue. If they want a gate attached, let them hook it up.

 

[ctab5060X]

Stop the whole operation because there might be a bad sensor in the Lav? IMO, bad plan. Pull up to a parking spot, like I said, sans gate (I've never parked where their wasn't a bridge, or a way to deplane passengers), dump the lav and see how much comes out. Make a decision whether it's a broken sensor or not(which it doesn't sound like) and continue. If they want a gate attached, let them hook it up.

Yep. Whole operation stops.

If we have a bad sensor that sets off the lav full indication, the lavs stop working.

The whole operation STOPS.

When the departure station swears they dumped the lav, you don't know what is wrong with the airplane.

It's nice you fly an aircraft with an airstair built into the door. @Autothrust Blue and I don't have that luxury. Our type requires a jet bridge or an airstair truck, and the stations where we have a truck are limited.

As far as making a decision and continuing, it's not that simple. We ended up having an issue with the water system as well as a full lav. Our mechanics worked quickly and we got the new paperwork promptly. We were still sitting in the gate almost 90 minutes.

 

[mshunter]

Yep. Whole operation stops.

If we have a bad sensor that sets off the lav full indication, the lavs stop working.

The whole operation STOPS.

When the departure station swears they dumped the lav, you don't know what is wrong with the airplane.

It's nice you fly an aircraft with an airstair built into the door. @Autothrust Blue and I don't have that luxury. Our type requires a jet bridge or an airstair truck, and the stations where we have a truck are limited.

As far as making a decision and continuing, it's not that simple. We ended up having an issue with the water system as well as a full lav. Our mechanics worked quickly and we got the new paperwork promptly. We were still sitting in the gate almost 90 minutes.

I think there is a disconnect happening here. From the op, there were places to bail to with services, that were passed along the way, correct?

 

[ctab5060X]

I think there is a disconnect happening here. From the op, there were places to bail to with services, that were passed along the way, correct?

I see what you are saying.

Yes, it seems they did pass up several opportunities to divert, although their situation started with the "service tank" light (75% full). By the time the "tank full" light came on and the lavs shut down, it appears it made no sense for them to divert.

However, you were replying about where I was talking about a diversion for the "tank full" light coming on before we even reached cruise altitude. In that situation, it was a no brainer diversion and we didn't know that status of the lav, other than the "tank full" light being illuminated.

 

[mshunter]

I see what you are saying.

Yes, it seems they did pass up several opportunities to divert, although their situation started with the "service tank" light (75% full). By the time the "tank full" light came on and the lavs shut down, it appears it made no sense for them to divert.

However, you were replying about where I was talking about a diversion for the "tank full" light coming on before we even reached cruise altitude. In that situation, it was a no brainer diversion and we didn't know that status of the lav, other than the "tank full" light being illuminated.

I assumed in cruise at altitude.