B737-300 first officer is burned by damaged cockpit sliding window heat wiring.

Attributes
ACN	725619
Time
Date	200701
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zzz.artcc
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 21000
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 750
ASRS Report	725619
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

During climbout; first officer shifted in her seat and placed her right hand on the lower right corner of her sliding window where the window heat supply wire enters the window. I heard her yell and saw her shaking her right hand. When she touched the wire; it apparently shorted and sparked and burned the palm of her right hand. A strand of the supply wire appeared broken and the heat to that window was inoperative while the circuit breaker was still in. We went through the procedure finishing with the window heat switch off. The first officer's right palm began to blister in a 1 inch by 2 inch area but she said that she was ok to continue. She put ice on the burn but I felt that it should be looked at as soon as possible so I requested that paramedics meet the aircraft on arrival. The paramedics cleaned the burn and recommended that she go to an emergency room to have the burn cleaned and properly medicated and treated. We also notified maintenance and they met the aircraft on arrival. The supply wires leading to the sliding windows appear to have little insulation or protection from chafing or breaking. This could have been much worse. Her hand could have sustained a much deeper and bigger burn or the spark could have turned into a cockpit fire. These wires are very exposed and susceptible to damage. They need to have more protection to prevent this type of incident from happening again.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 FO IS BURNED BY DAMAGED COCKPIT SLIDING WINDOW HEAT WIRING.

Narrative: DURING CLIMBOUT; FO SHIFTED IN HER SEAT AND PLACED HER RIGHT HAND ON THE LOWER RIGHT CORNER OF HER SLIDING WINDOW WHERE THE WINDOW HEAT SUPPLY WIRE ENTERS THE WINDOW. I HEARD HER YELL AND SAW HER SHAKING HER RIGHT HAND. WHEN SHE TOUCHED THE WIRE; IT APPARENTLY SHORTED AND SPARKED AND BURNED THE PALM OF HER RIGHT HAND. A STRAND OF THE SUPPLY WIRE APPEARED BROKEN AND THE HEAT TO THAT WINDOW WAS INOP WHILE THE CB WAS STILL IN. WE WENT THROUGH THE PROCEDURE FINISHING WITH THE WINDOW HEAT SWITCH OFF. THE FO'S RIGHT PALM BEGAN TO BLISTER IN A 1 INCH BY 2 INCH AREA BUT SHE SAID THAT SHE WAS OK TO CONTINUE. SHE PUT ICE ON THE BURN BUT I FELT THAT IT SHOULD BE LOOKED AT ASAP SO I REQUESTED THAT PARAMEDICS MEET THE ACFT ON ARR. THE PARAMEDICS CLEANED THE BURN AND RECOMMENDED THAT SHE GO TO AN EMERGENCY ROOM TO HAVE THE BURN CLEANED AND PROPERLY MEDICATED AND TREATED. WE ALSO NOTIFIED MAINT AND THEY MET THE ACFT ON ARRIVAL. THE SUPPLY WIRES LEADING TO THE SLIDING WINDOWS APPEAR TO HAVE LITTLE INSULATION OR PROTECTION FROM CHAFING OR BREAKING. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. HER HAND COULD HAVE SUSTAINED A MUCH DEEPER AND BIGGER BURN OR THE SPARK COULD HAVE TURNED INTO A COCKPIT FIRE. THESE WIRES ARE VERY EXPOSED AND SUSCEPTIBLE TO DAMAGE. THEY NEED TO HAVE MORE PROTECTION TO PREVENT THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.

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.