Southwest Pilot Hiding Cameras in the Bathroom

According to a report, Southwest Airlines has denied an allegation made by a flight attendant, Renee Steinaker, who claimed that two pilots hid a camera inside an airplane bathroom and streamed video into the cockpit during a flight from Pittsburgh to Phoenix in February 2017. Steinaker discovered the camera when she entered the cockpit and saw the captain’s iPad displaying a live video of the captain in the lavatory. She then reported the incident to the co-pilot, who told her that the camera was a new security system and that no one would ever find it because it was hidden. Steinaker said that Southwest officials instructed her to keep quiet about the incident, and warned her that if the incident became public, no one would fly the airline again.

Southwest Airlines has denied the claim, stating that the incident was an “inappropriate attempt at humor” and that the matter had been investigated two years ago, during which they confirmed that no cameras had been placed in the lavatories. The airline also denied using video surveillance in their lavatories and condemned the comment made by the pilots, regardless of their intent. Steinaker and her lawyer, Ronald Goldman, expressed their disappointment at the airline’s response, with Goldman saying that Southwest had treated the incident as a joke and failed to acknowledge the severity of the harassment and threat to the flight’s safety. Steinaker also stated that the incident was not a joke and that she felt violated.