Narrative:

Food cart apparently came loose at some time during the flight. I presume it to be after takeoff and passing 10000 ft from the report the lead flight attendant gave me, and struck a flight attendant. Incident apparently did not seem significant since I was not told of it until after the flight at the hotel in europe. Flight attendant did not seem badly hurt but by morning she complained of being unable to get out of bed. She said the cart had struck in such a way as to pin her into the metal work surface (counter top). I asked her how it got loose and she thought it was not secured properly when loaded. She didn't think the brake had been set either. I have seen carts with latches that were not long enough to properly secure carts when in continuous turbulence. Not sure if the problem stems from the wrong latches being positioned where they are not meant to be or if carts vary in ht. Flight attendant wanted to start her duties but agreed to notify me if she continued having discomfort. Once into the flight it became apparent that she was hurting considerably. A doctor was called who advised she not continue. As a precaution the EMS was called to remove her from the aircraft and take her to the hospital. X-rays were taken and she was released the same day. This was at our destination. Incident did not occur in turbulence and we had more than the minimum number of flight attendants on board to continue without the flight attendant who was hurting. The cart and latching situation is being looked into I believe. Flight attendant had just returned from a leave due to a previous oji that apparently affected the same area of her back. I will use this to brief flight attendants on cart security before flts. The briefing list gets longer every month!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT RPT ON FAULTY GALLEY CART LOOSE ON TKOF AND HITTING A FLT ATTENDANT RESULTING IN INJURY.

Narrative: FOOD CART APPARENTLY CAME LOOSE AT SOME TIME DURING THE FLT. I PRESUME IT TO BE AFTER TKOF AND PASSING 10000 FT FROM THE RPT THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT GAVE ME, AND STRUCK A FLT ATTENDANT. INCIDENT APPARENTLY DID NOT SEEM SIGNIFICANT SINCE I WAS NOT TOLD OF IT UNTIL AFTER THE FLT AT THE HOTEL IN EUROPE. FLT ATTENDANT DID NOT SEEM BADLY HURT BUT BY MORNING SHE COMPLAINED OF BEING UNABLE TO GET OUT OF BED. SHE SAID THE CART HAD STRUCK IN SUCH A WAY AS TO PIN HER INTO THE METAL WORK SURFACE (COUNTER TOP). I ASKED HER HOW IT GOT LOOSE AND SHE THOUGHT IT WAS NOT SECURED PROPERLY WHEN LOADED. SHE DIDN'T THINK THE BRAKE HAD BEEN SET EITHER. I HAVE SEEN CARTS WITH LATCHES THAT WERE NOT LONG ENOUGH TO PROPERLY SECURE CARTS WHEN IN CONTINUOUS TURB. NOT SURE IF THE PROB STEMS FROM THE WRONG LATCHES BEING POSITIONED WHERE THEY ARE NOT MEANT TO BE OR IF CARTS VARY IN HT. FLT ATTENDANT WANTED TO START HER DUTIES BUT AGREED TO NOTIFY ME IF SHE CONTINUED HAVING DISCOMFORT. ONCE INTO THE FLT IT BECAME APPARENT THAT SHE WAS HURTING CONSIDERABLY. A DOCTOR WAS CALLED WHO ADVISED SHE NOT CONTINUE. AS A PRECAUTION THE EMS WAS CALLED TO REMOVE HER FROM THE ACFT AND TAKE HER TO THE HOSPITAL. X-RAYS WERE TAKEN AND SHE WAS RELEASED THE SAME DAY. THIS WAS AT OUR DEST. INCIDENT DID NOT OCCUR IN TURB AND WE HAD MORE THAN THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF FLT ATTENDANTS ON BOARD TO CONTINUE WITHOUT THE FLT ATTENDANT WHO WAS HURTING. THE CART AND LATCHING SIT IS BEING LOOKED INTO I BELIEVE. FLT ATTENDANT HAD JUST RETURNED FROM A LEAVE DUE TO A PREVIOUS OJI THAT APPARENTLY AFFECTED THE SAME AREA OF HER BACK. I WILL USE THIS TO BRIEF FLT ATTENDANTS ON CART SECURITY BEFORE FLTS. THE BRIEFING LIST GETS LONGER EVERY MONTH!

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.