Narrative:

The captain asked the flight attendants to prepare the cabin for landing and take their seats because it might be bumpy. The cart parked in position 16L in the first class galley did not have a working brake. The airplane was tilted a bit nose high, resulting in that cart rolling out of its compartment, as I attempted to load the remaining insert into the cart next to the broken one. In order to close the large hinged door that encloses those 3 carts, I enlisted the assistance of the purser. She held the broken cart in its place, as I guided the large hinged door behind the red slot on the r-hand side of the compartment. As we pushed the bi-fold door, my finger became lodged behind the red slot, smashing the tip of the middle finger on my right hand. It also broke the skin on the lateral side of that finger tip. The cause of the injury was a broken cart. The brakes on both sides of the cart were not working. If the cart had been operating properly, I would not have needed any assistance getting the large bi-fold door closed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated she had to work the remaining of her flight in the galley, so she could leave her finger in a glass of ice as she worked. She has seen many of these broken carts reboarded by the flight kitchens with the 'needs repair' tags still attached and the carts are obviously still broken. Her airline does try to keep a supply of these tags in a kit on board. The problem is compounded when flying into small or foreign airports with outside catering, and/or, non english speaking personnel.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT, B767-300, ORD-MIA, TURB. BROKEN CARTS BRAKES RESULTED IN FLT ATTENDANT INJURY.

Narrative: THE CAPT ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO PREPARE THE CABIN FOR LNDG AND TAKE THEIR SEATS BECAUSE IT MIGHT BE BUMPY. THE CART PARKED IN POS 16L IN THE FIRST CLASS GALLEY DID NOT HAVE A WORKING BRAKE. THE AIRPLANE WAS TILTED A BIT NOSE HIGH, RESULTING IN THAT CART ROLLING OUT OF ITS COMPARTMENT, AS I ATTEMPTED TO LOAD THE REMAINING INSERT INTO THE CART NEXT TO THE BROKEN ONE. IN ORDER TO CLOSE THE LARGE HINGED DOOR THAT ENCLOSES THOSE 3 CARTS, I ENLISTED THE ASSISTANCE OF THE PURSER. SHE HELD THE BROKEN CART IN ITS PLACE, AS I GUIDED THE LARGE HINGED DOOR BEHIND THE RED SLOT ON THE R-HAND SIDE OF THE COMPARTMENT. AS WE PUSHED THE BI-FOLD DOOR, MY FINGER BECAME LODGED BEHIND THE RED SLOT, SMASHING THE TIP OF THE MIDDLE FINGER ON MY R HAND. IT ALSO BROKE THE SKIN ON THE LATERAL SIDE OF THAT FINGER TIP. THE CAUSE OF THE INJURY WAS A BROKEN CART. THE BRAKES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CART WERE NOT WORKING. IF THE CART HAD BEEN OPERATING PROPERLY, I WOULD NOT HAVE NEEDED ANY ASSISTANCE GETTING THE LARGE BI-FOLD DOOR CLOSED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED SHE HAD TO WORK THE REMAINING OF HER FLT IN THE GALLEY, SO SHE COULD LEAVE HER FINGER IN A GLASS OF ICE AS SHE WORKED. SHE HAS SEEN MANY OF THESE BROKEN CARTS REBOARDED BY THE FLT KITCHENS WITH THE 'NEEDS REPAIR' TAGS STILL ATTACHED AND THE CARTS ARE OBVIOUSLY STILL BROKEN. HER AIRLINE DOES TRY TO KEEP A SUPPLY OF THESE TAGS IN A KIT ON BOARD. THE PROB IS COMPOUNDED WHEN FLYING INTO SMALL OR FOREIGN ARPTS WITH OUTSIDE CATERING, AND/OR, NON ENGLISH SPEAKING PERSONNEL.

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.