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An MD80 cabin attendant while retrieving a beverage can from the aft card compartment raised up striking her forehead on the open overhead door incurring a 2 inch laceration.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 654542 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200504 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| 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 crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | flight attendant : currently qualified flight attendant aircraft qualified on : 4 |
| Experience | flight attendant time airline total : 14 flight attendant time total : 14 flight attendant time type : 65 |
| ASRS Report | 654542 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical cabin event other |
| Independent Detector | other other : 1 |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Environmental Factor Company Cabin Crew Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
I was asked to retrieve a ginger ale from the galley during the beverage service with the cart in the aisle. I went to the aft r-hand side cart compartment just forward of aft r-hand lavatory. I bent down to get the can; and as I stood up; the door of the compartment above the cart opened. The door had a metal frame that had a sharp edge. As I stood up; I hit my head very hard causing a 2 inch laceration to my forehead as well as swelling and bruising. This was an old air carrier Y aircraft. The door was not spring-loaded; magnetized; or retractable. I feel that the door should not have a sharp metal edge. It also should have a spring or magnet so that if it pops open; it will not swing open. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this airplane does not have the same cabin furnishings as the rest of the air carrier MD80 fleet. This compartment door is a safety item and should be modified with a positive locking latch. Removal of the sharp metal edge around the edge of the door would add greater safety. A safety report and an accident report have been submitted to the company.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN MD80 CABIN ATTENDANT WHILE RETRIEVING A BEVERAGE CAN FROM THE AFT CARD COMPARTMENT RAISED UP STRIKING HER FOREHEAD ON THE OPEN OVERHEAD DOOR INCURRING A 2 INCH LACERATION.
Narrative: I WAS ASKED TO RETRIEVE A GINGER ALE FROM THE GALLEY DURING THE BEVERAGE SVC WITH THE CART IN THE AISLE. I WENT TO THE AFT R-HAND SIDE CART COMPARTMENT JUST FORWARD OF AFT R-HAND LAVATORY. I BENT DOWN TO GET THE CAN; AND AS I STOOD UP; THE DOOR OF THE COMPARTMENT ABOVE THE CART OPENED. THE DOOR HAD A METAL FRAME THAT HAD A SHARP EDGE. AS I STOOD UP; I HIT MY HEAD VERY HARD CAUSING A 2 INCH LACERATION TO MY FOREHEAD AS WELL AS SWELLING AND BRUISING. THIS WAS AN OLD ACR Y ACFT. THE DOOR WAS NOT SPRING-LOADED; MAGNETIZED; OR RETRACTABLE. I FEEL THAT THE DOOR SHOULD NOT HAVE A SHARP METAL EDGE. IT ALSO SHOULD HAVE A SPRING OR MAGNET SO THAT IF IT POPS OPEN; IT WILL NOT SWING OPEN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS AIRPLANE DOES NOT HAVE THE SAME CABIN FURNISHINGS AS THE REST OF THE ACR MD80 FLEET. THIS COMPARTMENT DOOR IS A SAFETY ITEM AND SHOULD BE MODIFIED WITH A POSITIVE LOCKING LATCH. REMOVAL OF THE SHARP METAL EDGE AROUND THE EDGE OF THE DOOR WOULD ADD GREATER SAFETY. A SAFETY RPT AND AN ACCIDENT RPT HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE COMPANY.
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.