Flight attendant report, MD80, elp-dfw, hand injury in first class closet door. Design deficiency.

Attributes
ACN	444107
Time
Date	199907
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : elp.airport
State Reference	TX
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bos.tower
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	ground : preflight ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified flight attendant aircraft qualified on : 6
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 7.5 flight attendant time total : 7.5 flight attendant time type : 80
ASRS Report	444107
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty oversight : flight attendant in charge
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe cabin event other non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other other : cab 1
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Cabin Crew Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

I grabbed the closet door (which rolls shut up to down) with both hands (palms up). I pulled hard (which is required for that particular closet). My hand was smashed between the closet door and the new compartment, which houses the first class 3 tiered cart inside of the closet. X-rays at company medical facility in dtw showed my hand was not broken. I got the cuts and abrasions cleaned and dressed and received a tetanus shot. My hand is still sore a week later, but I have returned to work. On the newly reconfigured S80 aircraft, which provides 20 first class seats, a 3 tiered cart compartment was added to the first class coat closet and is housed in a very hard, steel rimmed compartment inside of the closet. This accident will occur again if the compartment is not reduced in size, moved towards the back, or removed and relocated. Another solution would be to put on a closet door that actually acts like a door -- this type of rolling door gets stuck a lot and is always tough to close. The injury counselor told me that they get a lot of similar accidents.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT, MD80, ELP-DFW, HAND INJURY IN FIRST CLASS CLOSET DOOR. DESIGN DEFICIENCY.

Narrative: I GRABBED THE CLOSET DOOR (WHICH ROLLS SHUT UP TO DOWN) WITH BOTH HANDS (PALMS UP). I PULLED HARD (WHICH IS REQUIRED FOR THAT PARTICULAR CLOSET). MY HAND WAS SMASHED BTWN THE CLOSET DOOR AND THE NEW COMPARTMENT, WHICH HOUSES THE FIRST CLASS 3 TIERED CART INSIDE OF THE CLOSET. X-RAYS AT COMPANY MEDICAL FACILITY IN DTW SHOWED MY HAND WAS NOT BROKEN. I GOT THE CUTS AND ABRASIONS CLEANED AND DRESSED AND RECEIVED A TETANUS SHOT. MY HAND IS STILL SORE A WK LATER, BUT I HAVE RETURNED TO WORK. ON THE NEWLY RECONFIGURED S80 ACFT, WHICH PROVIDES 20 FIRST CLASS SEATS, A 3 TIERED CART COMPARTMENT WAS ADDED TO THE FIRST CLASS COAT CLOSET AND IS HOUSED IN A VERY HARD, STEEL RIMMED COMPARTMENT INSIDE OF THE CLOSET. THIS ACCIDENT WILL OCCUR AGAIN IF THE COMPARTMENT IS NOT REDUCED IN SIZE, MOVED TOWARDS THE BACK, OR REMOVED AND RELOCATED. ANOTHER SOLUTION WOULD BE TO PUT ON A CLOSET DOOR THAT ACTUALLY ACTS LIKE A DOOR -- THIS TYPE OF ROLLING DOOR GETS STUCK A LOT AND IS ALWAYS TOUGH TO CLOSE. THE INJURY COUNSELOR TOLD ME THAT THEY GET A LOT OF SIMILAR ACCIDENTS.

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.