American Airlines Flight 37, a Boeing 777-200ER flying from Madrid to Dallas-Fort Worth, diverted to New York’s JFK Airport on 6 October after six of its eight lavatories failed, leaving only two usable toilets for 287 people onboard. The aircraft landed safely before continuing to Dallas later the same day following a maintenance stop of more than three hours.
The diversion was driven by a cabin-systems failure rather than any issue with the engines or flight controls. As the jet approached New York, the crew told air traffic control that it had only two toilets operating and declared a pan-pan urgency call. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the aircraft arrived at JFK after the crew reported an inadequate number of operational lavatories.
The decision to stop in New York was shaped by operating constraints as much as passenger comfort. The aircraft still had more than four hours of fuel remaining and was above normal landing weight, making an unscheduled stop the more practical option than pressing on to Texas. The cause of the lavatory failures has not been disclosed, and no detailed maintenance explanation has emerged in the available reporting.