Date: 201402
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: LAX.Airport, CA
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: A321
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Initial Approach
Airspace: Class B LAX
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Flight Attendant (On Duty)
Reporter qualification: Flight Attendant Current
Human factors: Communication Breakdown
Anomaly: Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Passenger Misconduct
Detector: Automation Aircraft Other Automation; Person Flight Attendant
When detected: In-flight
Result: General Police / Security Involved
Contributing factors: Human Factors
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: After we had prepared for landing and were seated in our jumpseats; we heard the smoke alarm go off and the message panel we have on the Airbus said smoke in lav. I stood up and knocked on the door and told the passenger to take her seat we were landing. She said she had to pee and she could 'do what ever she wanted.' I knocked again on the door and asked her if she was smoking in there because I could smell smoke and the smoke alarm was going off so she needed to get out right now! She said that I could not tell her what to do! The cockpit called back to inform us they had a light that said smoke in the lav and we informed him that we had a passenger that refused to go back to her seat. The landing gear was coming down and at this point I told her she better stay in there (if she came out she couldn't get to her seat without endangering the passenger in XXC) The Captain made a PA for the passenger in the lav to return to her seat immediately! She came out; cussing up a storm; and had sprayed something in the lav that she claimed was feminine hygiene spray. I repeated 'were you smoking in there?' She started waving her arms and saying 'she could do whatever the [explitive] she wanted and no one could [explitive] tell her what to do' over and over.Another Flight Attendant got her to sit down with the assistance of the passenger in XXC. I talked to the cockpit and informed them that she was now seated and her seat number. The Captain asked me to check the lav to make sure nothing was on fire and I did. She had sprayed something in there to hide the smell of smoke and it was overpowering! No cigs were found in trash can so I took my seat. There was no reason for her to spray that spray and be so defiant if she wasn't guilty! I smell cigarettes and the smoke alarm was going off. I did not smell her spray until she opened the door! She was 2 steps away from the lav the entire flight and she chose to go to the bathroom after we were seated! Police met the flight and questioned her and never came in to check the lav. This woman interfered with the duties of the flight crew; caused alarms to go off in the cockpit during sterile cockpit; told us we couldn't tell her what the [explitive] to do; and almost caused us to land standing up. She should not be allowed to fly again if she can't follow instructions and is going to carry on the way she did! Unfortunately; I believe the police let her go. They asked us if she did finally sit down; which she did...but that was not the problem; the problem was that she was smoking in lav! That is against FAA regulations; if was not just her not complying with crew member instructions...Unbelievable!




Synopsis: An unruly passenger entered a lavatory on approach; apparently lit a cigarette and eventually set off the smoke alarm. The reporter/Flight Attendant's attempts to extricate the passenger were unsuccessful until the Captain made an announcement demanding she return to her seat. She then left the lav; which reeked with what she claimed was a feminine hygiene product; and excoriated the reporter in vulgar terms. The passenger was detained by airport police.