A B737 coffee maker produced a hissing sound while dripping coffee; so the flight attendant opened t...

Narrative:

I was in the aft galley by myself during the cruise portion of the flight. The coffee pot was making a hissing noise; and the burner was filled up with coffee. I lifted the handle of the coffee maker and hot coffee grounds exploded out onto my chest and face. I received medical assistance on board the plane. The aircraft diverted. It was met by medical personnel. I was taken to the hospital. I received second degree burns to my face and chest. Had there been a crew bulletin or warning from/by the company explaining that this can happen with the coffee makers; I would have taken precautions. I found out that in january 2013; the FAA let airlines know that this was something that could happen. Everything I read was exactly what happened to me.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 coffee maker produced a hissing sound while dripping coffee; so the Flight Attendant opened the coffee tray and received second degree burns from exploding coffee grounds. An emergency was declared and the flight diverted for medical attention.

Narrative: I was in the aft galley by myself during the cruise portion of the flight. The coffee pot was making a hissing noise; and the burner was filled up with coffee. I lifted the handle of the coffee maker and hot coffee grounds exploded out onto my chest and face. I received medical assistance on board the plane. The aircraft diverted. It was met by medical personnel. I was taken to the hospital. I received second degree burns to my face and chest. Had there been a crew bulletin or warning from/by the company explaining that this can happen with the coffee makers; I would have taken precautions. I found out that in January 2013; the FAA let airlines know that this was something that could happen. Everything I read was exactly what happened to me.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

Attributes
ACN	1143854
Time
Date	201401
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	B737-700
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Cruise
Flight Plan	IFR
Component
Aircraft Component	Galley Furnishing
Person 1
Function	Flight Attendant (On Duty)
Qualification	Flight Attendant Current
Person 2
Function	Flight Attendant (On Duty)
Qualification	Flight Attendant Current
Events
Anomaly	Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Illness

A B737 coffee maker produced a hissing sound while dripping coffee; so the flight attendant opened the coffee tray and received second degree burns from exploding coffee grounds. An emergency was declared and the flight diverted for medical attention.