Narrative:

The flight segment was from atl to mco. Takeoff and climb out from atl to cruise was smooth with occasional light turbulence. Because of the light turbulence, the captain kept the cabin crew seated with the seat belt sign on. He queried the controller about expected ride ahead after reaching cruise. The controller replied that we could expect a good ride and that he had not heard of any significant turbulence. With that, the captain allowed the flight attendants to begin serving but decided to keep the seat belt sign on due to occasional light turbulence. We were cleared direct to 'leese' on the 'leese' arrival while just east of 'otk,' at FL270. At this position we saw no WX radar returns within 60 mi. After being in primarily smooth conditions for about 10 mins and the flight attendants being up and serving for about 5 mins, we encountered 4-5 seconds of instantaneous moderate turbulence. The remainder of flight was smooth. Subsequent to the moderate turbulence encounter, the captain informed me the cabin crew had reported that coffee spilled on a passenger during the turbulent encounter. The captain coordinated with the company and orlando operations to have paramedics meet the aircraft. An onboard doctor tended to the burned passenger until arrival when the paramedics met our flight. The turbulence reports that acrs obtain from ATC and others are important safety inputs. Although we asked for and received these inputs, turbulence is always a threat. Hopefully, technology improvements and discoveries will allow us to 'see and avoid' it in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAX INJURED WHEN HOT BEVERAGE SPILLED ON HIM WHEN UNEXPECTED TURB WAS ENCOUNTERED BY A B757 DURING CRUISE. PARAMEDICS MET THE ACFT.

Narrative: THE FLT SEGMENT WAS FROM ATL TO MCO. TKOF AND CLBOUT FROM ATL TO CRUISE WAS SMOOTH WITH OCCASIONAL LIGHT TURB. BECAUSE OF THE LIGHT TURB, THE CAPT KEPT THE CABIN CREW SEATED WITH THE SEAT BELT SIGN ON. HE QUERIED THE CTLR ABOUT EXPECTED RIDE AHEAD AFTER REACHING CRUISE. THE CTLR REPLIED THAT WE COULD EXPECT A GOOD RIDE AND THAT HE HAD NOT HEARD OF ANY SIGNIFICANT TURB. WITH THAT, THE CAPT ALLOWED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO BEGIN SERVING BUT DECIDED TO KEEP THE SEAT BELT SIGN ON DUE TO OCCASIONAL LIGHT TURB. WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO 'LEESE' ON THE 'LEESE' ARR WHILE JUST E OF 'OTK,' AT FL270. AT THIS POS WE SAW NO WX RADAR RETURNS WITHIN 60 MI. AFTER BEING IN PRIMARILY SMOOTH CONDITIONS FOR ABOUT 10 MINS AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS BEING UP AND SERVING FOR ABOUT 5 MINS, WE ENCOUNTERED 4-5 SECONDS OF INSTANTANEOUS MODERATE TURB. THE REMAINDER OF FLT WAS SMOOTH. SUBSEQUENT TO THE MODERATE TURB ENCOUNTER, THE CAPT INFORMED ME THE CABIN CREW HAD RPTED THAT COFFEE SPILLED ON A PAX DURING THE TURBULENT ENCOUNTER. THE CAPT COORDINATED WITH THE COMPANY AND ORLANDO OPS TO HAVE PARAMEDICS MEET THE ACFT. AN ONBOARD DOCTOR TENDED TO THE BURNED PAX UNTIL ARR WHEN THE PARAMEDICS MET OUR FLT. THE TURB RPTS THAT ACRS OBTAIN FROM ATC AND OTHERS ARE IMPORTANT SAFETY INPUTS. ALTHOUGH WE ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED THESE INPUTS, TURB IS ALWAYS A THREAT. HOPEFULLY, TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENTS AND DISCOVERIES WILL ALLOW US TO 'SEE AND AVOID' IT IN THE FUTURE.

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.