Narrative:

On my last flight from fco, jfk I made a normal takeoff and departure and was climbing out at 25000 ft, when my in-flight coordinator informed me that the very heavy beverage cart had broken loose from the 1ST class galley, rolled down the right aisle of 1ST class and came to rest after damaging the partition between 1ST and business class. The partition hit 2 young men in seats C and D in the 1ST row of the business class, causing slight injury to passenger C's hand and slight injury to D's arm. The in-flight coordinator and the 1ST class flight flight attendant had rushed to hold the cart in place until the airplane was on a climb out with stabilized air speed, enabling them to resecure the cart. I was assured by my in-flight coordinator that the injuries were very slight and that there was no reason to return to fco. I commended her for her presence of mind because it occurred to me that any other action on her part might have triggered a high speed abort, with possible consequences. (Blown tires, runway excursion, evacuation injuries, etc.) with almost certain further damage by the cart as it was going the other way. I sent my relief pilot back to secure the partition and see how serious the situation was. He concurred with the in-flight coordinator's assessment that there were only very slight injuries. We sent a report via acrs to company and answered their question as to whether the partition had to be repaired or replaced. There was no inquiry about passenger. When things were settled down I went back to see the passenger and thank them for their help. They were both happy, apparently enjoying the attention and their heroic role. They both mentioned their slight injuries and appeared to cause them no concern. I observed no evidence of bleeding or anything to indicate any internal injuries of any sort. Neither one even had a bandaid on. I filled out a cior after I arrived at jfk, wrote a letter of commendation to the in-flight supervisor outlining the hard work by the in-flight coordinator in containing this situation, and retired as the next day 4/xx/94, was my birthday. To my knowledge this is the second incident in as many months and I could suggest a backup device and procedure to contain these charts more securely.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB ON DEP HAS BEVERAGE CART COME LOOSE AND HIT PARTITION, INJURING TWO PAX.

Narrative: ON MY LAST FLT FROM FCO, JFK I MADE A NORMAL TKOF AND DEP AND WAS CLBING OUT AT 25000 FT, WHEN MY INFLT COORDINATOR INFORMED ME THAT THE VERY HVY BEVERAGE CART HAD BROKEN LOOSE FROM THE 1ST CLASS GALLEY, ROLLED DOWN THE R AISLE OF 1ST CLASS AND CAME TO REST AFTER DAMAGING THE PARTITION BTWN 1ST AND BUSINESS CLASS. THE PARTITION HIT 2 YOUNG MEN IN SEATS C AND D IN THE 1ST ROW OF THE BUSINESS CLASS, CAUSING SLIGHT INJURY TO PAX C'S HAND AND SLIGHT INJURY TO D'S ARM. THE INFLT COORDINATOR AND THE 1ST CLASS FLT FA HAD RUSHED TO HOLD THE CART IN PLACE UNTIL THE AIRPLANE WAS ON A CLB OUT WITH STABILIZED AIR SPD, ENABLING THEM TO RESECURE THE CART. I WAS ASSURED BY MY INFLT COORDINATOR THAT THE INJURIES WERE VERY SLIGHT AND THAT THERE WAS NO REASON TO RETURN TO FCO. I COMMENDED HER FOR HER PRESENCE OF MIND BECAUSE IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT ANY OTHER ACTION ON HER PART MIGHT HAVE TRIGGERED A HIGH SPD ABORT, WITH POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES. (BLOWN TIRES, RWY EXCURSION, EVACUATION INJURIES, ETC.) WITH ALMOST CERTAIN FURTHER DAMAGE BY THE CART AS IT WAS GOING THE OTHER WAY. I SENT MY RELIEF PLT BACK TO SECURE THE PARTITION AND SEE HOW SERIOUS THE SIT WAS. HE CONCURRED WITH THE INFLT COORDINATOR'S ASSESSMENT THAT THERE WERE ONLY VERY SLIGHT INJURIES. WE SENT A RPT VIA ACRS TO COMPANY AND ANSWERED THEIR QUESTION AS TO WHETHER THE PARTITION HAD TO BE REPAIRED OR REPLACED. THERE WAS NO INQUIRY ABOUT PAX. WHEN THINGS WERE SETTLED DOWN I WENT BACK TO SEE THE PAX AND THANK THEM FOR THEIR HELP. THEY WERE BOTH HAPPY, APPARENTLY ENJOYING THE ATTN AND THEIR HEROIC ROLE. THEY BOTH MENTIONED THEIR SLIGHT INJURIES AND APPEARED TO CAUSE THEM NO CONCERN. I OBSERVED NO EVIDENCE OF BLEEDING OR ANYTHING TO INDICATE ANY INTERNAL INJURIES OF ANY SORT. NEITHER ONE EVEN HAD A BANDAID ON. I FILLED OUT A CIOR AFTER I ARRIVED AT JFK, WROTE A LETTER OF COMMENDATION TO THE INFLT SUPVR OUTLINING THE HARD WORK BY THE INFLT COORDINATOR IN CONTAINING THIS SIT, AND RETIRED AS THE NEXT DAY 4/XX/94, WAS MY BIRTHDAY. TO MY KNOWLEDGE THIS IS THE SECOND INCIDENT IN AS MANY MONTHS AND I COULD SUGGEST A BACKUP DEVICE AND PROC TO CONTAIN THESE CHARTS MORE SECURELY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.