Narrative:

Flight attendants discovered food boxes did not latch into cubby holes. Boxes bent, also possibly latches attached to aircraft may need adjustment. This is a system wide issue. Flight attendants manual only requires they check secondary latches. I presume caterer must be responsible for ensuring primary latches (which cannot be deferred) are securing food boxes. When I have checked, more than half of the boxes did not secure. I checked several different aircraft with same results. At least 3 delays on sat due to this problem and I suspect not a single 777 would have all boxes properly latched. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: callback revealed that the boxes in question are often stacked by the caterer which caused the tops to be caved in to a certain extent. On the top of the box is the catch that the latch, which is part of the aircraft, hooks into. Because of the bending of the container the latches are not catching properly making the secondary retaining device the only thing preventing the box from moving out of its position during takeoff and landing or turbulence. After reporting the problem to the company and making follow up personal checks, the reporter has found no more of the latch problems on the aircraft he has flown.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777 GALLEY FOOD CARRIER BOXES FOUND TO HAVE PRIMARY LATCH PROBS CREATING A POSSIBLE HAZARD OF LOOSE CONTAINERS.

Narrative: FLT ATTENDANTS DISCOVERED FOOD BOXES DID NOT LATCH INTO CUBBY HOLES. BOXES BENT, ALSO POSSIBLY LATCHES ATTACHED TO ACFT MAY NEED ADJUSTMENT. THIS IS A SYSTEM WIDE ISSUE. FLT ATTENDANTS MANUAL ONLY REQUIRES THEY CHK SECONDARY LATCHES. I PRESUME CATERER MUST BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING PRIMARY LATCHES (WHICH CANNOT BE DEFERRED) ARE SECURING FOOD BOXES. WHEN I HAVE CHECKED, MORE THAN HALF OF THE BOXES DID NOT SECURE. I CHECKED SEVERAL DIFFERENT ACFT WITH SAME RESULTS. AT LEAST 3 DELAYS ON SAT DUE TO THIS PROB AND I SUSPECT NOT A SINGLE 777 WOULD HAVE ALL BOXES PROPERLY LATCHED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CALLBACK REVEALED THAT THE BOXES IN QUESTION ARE OFTEN STACKED BY THE CATERER WHICH CAUSED THE TOPS TO BE CAVED IN TO A CERTAIN EXTENT. ON THE TOP OF THE BOX IS THE CATCH THAT THE LATCH, WHICH IS PART OF THE AIRCRAFT, HOOKS INTO. BECAUSE OF THE BENDING OF THE CONTAINER THE LATCHES ARE NOT CATCHING PROPERLY MAKING THE SECONDARY RETAINING DEVICE THE ONLY THING PREVENTING THE BOX FROM MOVING OUT OF ITS POS DURING TKOF AND LNDG OR TURB. AFTER RPTING THE PROB TO THE COMPANY AND MAKING FOLLOW UP PERSONAL CHKS, THE RPTR HAS FOUND NO MORE OF THE LATCH PROBS ON THE ACFT HE HAS FLOWN.

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.