Narrative:

We flew the knox 3 arrival to ord. Ord approach control gave us radar vectors for a visual approach to 22R. The descent from 11000 ft to GS intercept at about 3000 ft was continuous except to slow. This is an approach sometimes referred to by ord controllers as a 'slam dunk.' on short final, a flight attendant from the rear of the aircraft called the cockpit to inform us that a food cart had broken loose and injured a passenger (either the locking mechanism was not secured properly, or had failed). We radioed our operations, after clearing the active runway, for paramedics to meet the aircraft. The paramedics met aircraft at gate and after other passenger had deplaned, they gave treatment to injured woman passenger and deplaned her in wheelchair. The extent of her injury was not given to us and was not readily apparent. It would appear that flight cabin personnel need be more aware of security of food serving equipment at time of terminal area arrival, especially on short segments, under 2 hours. We made an announcement for the flight attendants to prepare the cabin for landing (passing 9000 ft) about 8-9 mins before the actual touchdown, which is well in advance of our company's recommended policy of 5 mins. Some more coordination is needed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAX INJURED BY FOOD CART IN AN LGT ACR ACFT DURING A STEEP DSCNT.

Narrative: WE FLEW THE KNOX 3 ARR TO ORD. ORD APCH CTL GAVE US RADAR VECTORS FOR A VISUAL APCH TO 22R. THE DSCNT FROM 11000 FT TO GS INTERCEPT AT ABOUT 3000 FT WAS CONTINUOUS EXCEPT TO SLOW. THIS IS AN APCH SOMETIMES REFERRED TO BY ORD CTLRS AS A 'SLAM DUNK.' ON SHORT FINAL, A FLT ATTENDANT FROM THE REAR OF THE ACFT CALLED THE COCKPIT TO INFORM US THAT A FOOD CART HAD BROKEN LOOSE AND INJURED A PAX (EITHER THE LOCKING MECHANISM WAS NOT SECURED PROPERLY, OR HAD FAILED). WE RADIOED OUR OPS, AFTER CLRING THE ACTIVE RWY, FOR PARAMEDICS TO MEET THE ACFT. THE PARAMEDICS MET ACFT AT GATE AND AFTER OTHER PAX HAD DEPLANED, THEY GAVE TREATMENT TO INJURED WOMAN PAX AND DEPLANED HER IN WHEELCHAIR. THE EXTENT OF HER INJURY WAS NOT GIVEN TO US AND WAS NOT READILY APPARENT. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT FLT CABIN PERSONNEL NEED BE MORE AWARE OF SECURITY OF FOOD SERVING EQUIP AT TIME OF TERMINAL AREA ARR, ESPECIALLY ON SHORT SEGMENTS, UNDER 2 HRS. WE MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO PREPARE THE CABIN FOR LNDG (PASSING 9000 FT) ABOUT 8-9 MINS BEFORE THE ACTUAL TOUCHDOWN, WHICH IS WELL IN ADVANCE OF OUR COMPANY'S RECOMMENDED POLICY OF 5 MINS. SOME MORE COORD IS NEEDED.

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.