Trapped in the airplane bathroom: State of emergency declared on flight

A 69-year-old passenger was trapped in the lavatory of a United Airlines flight, forcing pilots to declare an emergency and divert the plane for landing. The crew attempted to free her for several minutes and eventually succeeded. The article notes this is not the first time such a malfunction has occurred on Boeing 737 aircraft.

A 69-year-old passenger was trapped in the lavatory of a United Airlines flight from Seattle to Newark, forcing pilots to declare an emergency and divert the plane for an unscheduled landing in Chicago. The incident occurred on flight UA1900, about two and a half hours after takeoff, aboard a Boeing 737 MAX. The cabin crew tried for approximately 15 minutes to open the jammed door using tools available on the plane, but without success. The captain informed air traffic control that he was unwilling to leave a passenger trapped for an extended period and began preparations for an emergency landing. As the plane began to descend, the crew finally managed to break open the door and free the passenger, who emerged unharmed. The pilots canceled the emergency, climbed back to cruising altitude, and continued to Newark, where the plane landed safely. The article notes that this is not the first time such a malfunction has occurred on Boeing 737 aircraft, and that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an airworthiness directive in April 2025 affecting more than 2,600 aircraft following a previous incident.