A communication breakdown between a TAP pilot and the control tower of a French airport has gone viral on social media, capturing widespread attention. The unusual incident occurred in June during a flight from Lisbon to Nice, France, but it is only now coming to light. The situation involved a conversation in English between the pilot and the control tower.
During the exchange, the TAP pilot attempted to communicate that the aircraft had no functioning toilets on board. However, the message was misunderstood by the control tower, which thought the pilot said the “plane has no pilot.” This led to confusion, with the control tower repeatedly asking if the crew was declaring an emergency.
“We’re requesting more speed, if possible, and more direct routes. We have no toilets on board for today’s flight, so we need to land as quickly as possible because of the passengers,” the pilot explained repeatedly until ending the conversation.
“We’ll talk on the ground. For now, we just need to make the approach,” concluded the pilot.
CNN Portugal, which initially reported the story, consulted former TAP commander José Correia Guedes, who suggested that the incident was due to poor word choice.
“In my opinion, the Portuguese pilot chose the wrong term. She used ‘toilet,’ which can easily be mistaken for ‘pilot.’ She should have used ‘lavatory’ or ‘WC,'” he suggested.
“These situations shouldn’t happen, but in cases where technical language is abandoned, misunderstandings can occur. The Portuguese pilot expressed herself quite well despite the poor word choice. The French side misunderstood, but this does not mean they lack the technical English proficiency required for their role,” he added.
Watch the moment in the video below:
The Most Ridiculous ATC Miscommunication Ever — It Escalated Fast!
Flight_Follower(IG) pic.twitter.com/fgp61Ghy12— Turbine Traveller (@Turbinetraveler) July 10, 2025
