During beverage service; an MD80 cabin attendant noted water flowing out of the coffeemaker. Reporte...

Attributes
ACN	653333
Time
Date	200503
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 5.5 flight attendant time total : 5.5 flight attendant time type : 100
ASRS Report	653333
Person 2
Function	observation : passenger other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical cabin event other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : 1
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Cabin Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

During preparation for beverages flight attendant #2 put coffee packet into coffeemaker. While flight attendant #2 was in aisle with passenger; flight attendant #4 was in galley and pushed the 'brew' button to start coffee. A few mins later flight attendant #4 noticed that water (liquid) was pouring out of the coffeemaker onto the counter. Assuming that the coffeemaker was malfunctioning and overflowing; flight attendant #4 lifted the arm/lever to stop it. The coffee packet exploded under extreme pressure and spewed coffee grounds into flight attendant #4's face and all over the galley. Flight attendant #4 was burned on the face and neck and ran to the aft lav to splash water on her face. A doctor onboard treated flight attendant #4 with burn gel from the first aid kit and applied ice packs for the next 2 hours; until we landed in elp. He (the doctor) assessed flight attendant #4's condition as sustaining 1ST and 2ND degree burns on the face and neck. He advised flight attendant #4 to keep burn gel on the burns and seek medical attention the next day. This incident was totally unforeseeable; and we do not know what may have caused the pressure to build up causing the coffee packet to explode. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter at present is being treated for 2ND degree burns on her face. When reporting the incident to the company operations she was advised that sometime last year another cabin attendant experienced burns in a similar event. The reporter stated the attending doctor on board told her she was fortunate that contact lenses were being worn or serious eye injury would have resulted. The reporter stated that the company sent out a safety bulletin on the incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING BEVERAGE SVC; AN MD80 CABIN ATTENDANT NOTED WATER FLOWING OUT OF THE COFFEEMAKER. RPTR LIFTED THE ARM ON THE COFFEEMAKER AND THE COFFEE PACKET EXPLODED CAUSING 1ST AND 2ND DEG BURNS TO FACE AND NECK.

Narrative: DURING PREPARATION FOR BEVERAGES FLT ATTENDANT #2 PUT COFFEE PACKET INTO COFFEEMAKER. WHILE FLT ATTENDANT #2 WAS IN AISLE WITH PAX; FLT ATTENDANT #4 WAS IN GALLEY AND PUSHED THE 'BREW' BUTTON TO START COFFEE. A FEW MINS LATER FLT ATTENDANT #4 NOTICED THAT WATER (LIQUID) WAS POURING OUT OF THE COFFEEMAKER ONTO THE COUNTER. ASSUMING THAT THE COFFEEMAKER WAS MALFUNCTIONING AND OVERFLOWING; FLT ATTENDANT #4 LIFTED THE ARM/LEVER TO STOP IT. THE COFFEE PACKET EXPLODED UNDER EXTREME PRESSURE AND SPEWED COFFEE GROUNDS INTO FLT ATTENDANT #4'S FACE AND ALL OVER THE GALLEY. FLT ATTENDANT #4 WAS BURNED ON THE FACE AND NECK AND RAN TO THE AFT LAV TO SPLASH WATER ON HER FACE. A DOCTOR ONBOARD TREATED FLT ATTENDANT #4 WITH BURN GEL FROM THE FIRST AID KIT AND APPLIED ICE PACKS FOR THE NEXT 2 HRS; UNTIL WE LANDED IN ELP. HE (THE DOCTOR) ASSESSED FLT ATTENDANT #4'S CONDITION AS SUSTAINING 1ST AND 2ND DEG BURNS ON THE FACE AND NECK. HE ADVISED FLT ATTENDANT #4 TO KEEP BURN GEL ON THE BURNS AND SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION THE NEXT DAY. THIS INCIDENT WAS TOTALLY UNFORESEEABLE; AND WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT MAY HAVE CAUSED THE PRESSURE TO BUILD UP CAUSING THE COFFEE PACKET TO EXPLODE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR AT PRESENT IS BEING TREATED FOR 2ND DEG BURNS ON HER FACE. WHEN RPTING THE INCIDENT TO THE COMPANY OPS SHE WAS ADVISED THAT SOMETIME LAST YEAR ANOTHER CABIN ATTENDANT EXPERIENCED BURNS IN A SIMILAR EVENT. THE RPTR STATED THE ATTENDING DOCTOR ON BOARD TOLD HER SHE WAS FORTUNATE THAT CONTACT LENSES WERE BEING WORN OR SERIOUS EYE INJURY WOULD HAVE RESULTED. THE RPTR STATED THAT THE COMPANY SENT OUT A SAFETY BULLETIN ON THE INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.

During beverage service; an MD80 cabin attendant noted water flowing out of the coffeemaker. Reporter lifted the arm on the coffeemaker and the coffee packet exploded causing 1ST and 2ND degree burns to face and neck.