What happened
During the cruise phase of the flight, a cabin crew member initiated the preparation of a snack service. The attendant placed a pot of hot coffee on top of the service cart. After positioning the cart directly in front of row 1, the attendant walked away to the galley area to fulfill another beverage request.
While the attendant was away from the cart, it tipped over toward row 1. The contents of the coffee pot spilled onto a passenger seated in row 1B. The passenger sustained serious burns as a direct result of the hot liquid contact.
The investigation
The incident involved a standard service cart and a coffee pot used for cabin service. No mechanical failure of the aircraft or the cart was cited as a contributing factor to the tip-over. The primary finding related to the stability of the loaded cart while unattended in the cabin aisle.