Coffee burn injury to passenger.

Attributes
ACN	290516
Time
Date	199412
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 37000 msl bound upper : 37000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 24000 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	290516
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

We were en route from sfo-mem and flying a northern deviation route to avoid turbulence south our course. Our route provided a relatively smooth ride. Just over den I asked our new controller about ride reports. He advised that he had no adverse ride reports. About that time we encountered one short moderate bump. This followed with a call from our rear cabin flight attendant. She reported that her serving cart had tipped on its side and spilled hot coffee on one of our passenger burning his arm and shoulder. Being a doctor, he was able to treat himself with our onboard first aid kit. We continued on to mem with no further problems our WX people and dispatchers go out of their way to avoid turbulence, but this one area was not in their area of possible turbulence. Having flown over (for 28 yrs) this area, I know there can always be the possibility of unknown or forecast turbulence. On this particular flight, I kept the seatbelt sign on for the first 2 hours 45 mins and made several announcements to the passenger to keep their seat belts on just in case. I felt we were just about to exit the area of possible turbulence when we encountered this moderate bump. Had we had a little advance notice, we could have set the brake or stowed our beverage carts to avoid possible injury to any of our passenger or flight attendants.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COFFEE BURN INJURY TO PAX.

Narrative: WE WERE ENRTE FROM SFO-MEM AND FLYING A NORTHERN DEV RTE TO AVOID TURB S OUR COURSE. OUR RTE PROVIDED A RELATIVELY SMOOTH RIDE. JUST OVER DEN I ASKED OUR NEW CTLR ABOUT RIDE RPTS. HE ADVISED THAT HE HAD NO ADVERSE RIDE RPTS. ABOUT THAT TIME WE ENCOUNTERED ONE SHORT MODERATE BUMP. THIS FOLLOWED WITH A CALL FROM OUR REAR CABIN FLT ATTENDANT. SHE RPTED THAT HER SERVING CART HAD TIPPED ON ITS SIDE AND SPILLED HOT COFFEE ON ONE OF OUR PAX BURNING HIS ARM AND SHOULDER. BEING A DOCTOR, HE WAS ABLE TO TREAT HIMSELF WITH OUR ONBOARD FIRST AID KIT. WE CONTINUED ON TO MEM WITH NO FURTHER PROBS OUR WX PEOPLE AND DISPATCHERS GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO AVOID TURB, BUT THIS ONE AREA WAS NOT IN THEIR AREA OF POSSIBLE TURB. HAVING FLOWN OVER (FOR 28 YRS) THIS AREA, I KNOW THERE CAN ALWAYS BE THE POSSIBILITY OF UNKNOWN OR FORECAST TURB. ON THIS PARTICULAR FLT, I KEPT THE SEATBELT SIGN ON FOR THE FIRST 2 HRS 45 MINS AND MADE SEVERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS TO THE PAX TO KEEP THEIR SEAT BELTS ON JUST IN CASE. I FELT WE WERE JUST ABOUT TO EXIT THE AREA OF POSSIBLE TURB WHEN WE ENCOUNTERED THIS MODERATE BUMP. HAD WE HAD A LITTLE ADVANCE NOTICE, WE COULD HAVE SET THE BRAKE OR STOWED OUR BEVERAGE CARTS TO AVOID POSSIBLE INJURY TO ANY OF OUR PAX OR FLT ATTENDANTS.

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.