Departure of American Airlines flight 5695 from Richmond to Philadelphia was delayed 37 minutes this morning for an unusual reason. A passenger on board the 24 year old Embraer 145 regional jet (registration N653AE) operated by American’s wholly-owned regional carrier Piedmont had to use the lavatory prior to departure. But this wasn’t just any bathroom visit.

The customer got stuck in there. And, as reader Andrew shares, the crew couldn’t get the door open – and neither could mechanics. So they “took it off its hinges.”

A few months ago, a passenger on a delayed Delta flight got himself stuck in the plane’s lavatory shortly after takeoff. He couldn’t figure out how to get out. The lock was sticking, several flight attendants couldn’t free him, and finally a pilot Ma href=”https://viewfromthewing.com/delta-pilot-saves-passenger-locked-in-lavatory-using-nothing-but-a-butter-knife/” target=_blank>got it open with a butter knife.

Another Delta pilot There’s something about managed to break a passenger out of the lavatory after he was stuck in there for 35 minuts on a Salt Lake City to New Orleans flight.

Passengers aren’t always so lucky. Crew once failed to rescue a passenger stuck in a lav, and told him to sit on the toilet for landing. They passed him a note that sealed his fate: “Sir, we tried.”

United once had to divert to Denver to rescue a passenger stuck in the lavatory, and an American flight attendant locked a woman and her toddler in a lavatory during a flight, claiming they were terrorists (they weren’t).

The best advice might be to use the lavatory prior to flying, so you don’t get stuck in there while up in the air. Except, of course, on American Airlines. Because in addition to this ‘on the ground’ incident, American once had to cancel a flight because a passenger went to the bathroom before the flight and got stuck inside. Apparently they didn’t think to remove the hinges from the doors.