"He had a plunger, so that put him way ahead of our own guys," spokeswoman says
PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - A passenger on a flight from Pittsburgh to Houston was unexpectedly promoted to maintenance supervisor today, and immediately began repairs on a clogged toilet onboard the aircraft. Rick Stouffer had been editor of Gas Business Briefing prior to his new job.
"The lavatory in the first-class section became clogged," said spokeswoman Mary Clark said. "For some reason, and I'm really afraid to ask why, Mr. Stouffer had a plunger in his carry-on luggage. And he said he had experience with gas. We offered him a job, and he got right to work on it."
Airline personnel usually use other means to repair toilets. "Lavs are highly technical," says Elle Dolen, an independent safety expert based in Phoenix. "Maintenance crews usually use a piece of equipment nicknamed ' the rodeo' instead of an ordinary plunger. He took a real chance doing it differently, but you can't argue with success. Plus it was low-risk --- a broken toilet isn't likely to bring down an airliner and turn it into a smokin' hole in the ground."
But maintenance crew members aren't as impressed. "OK, he got lucky with the toilet," said Pittsburgh-based mechanic Jack Dammer. "But then we got a report of a malfunctioning engine, and Stouffer was nowhere to be found. I guess he doesn't know as much as he thinks he does."
