Plane forced to do unexpected U-turn following bizarre toilet incident

An Air India long-haul flight was unexpectedly forced to turn back mid-journey after the plane's toilets became clogged under the most unusual of circumstances.

The flight, which was en route from Chicago to New Delhi on 5 March with around 300 passengers onboard, had only been in the air for five hours of its 14-hour journey when disaster struck. Eight out of the 12 toilets suddenly malfunctioned, forcing the plane to turn back and return to Chicago’s O’Hare Airport.

An investigation revealed that the toilet clogs were a result of polythene bags, rags and clothes being flushed down and stuck in the plumbing.

"About an hour and forty-five minutes into the flight, the crew reported some of the lavatories in business and economy class to be unserviceable," they said.

"By this time, the aircraft was overflying the Atlantic, leaving points in Europe as potential cities to divert to. However, due to restrictions on night operations at most of the European airports, it was decided to divert back to Chicago."

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"The decision to divert was taken entirely in the interest of passenger comfort and safety," Air India continued.

"Upon landing at Chicago, all passengers and crew disembarked normally and have been provided with accommodation to minimize inconvenience," they continued, adding that it was down to a "technical issue".

"Alternative arrangements are being made to fly the passengers to their destination."

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