DIRECTOR OF SAFETY RPTS ON AN INCIDENT IN WHICH AN OVEN WAS TURNED ON TO PREHEAT. A SMALL EXPLOSIVE SOUND WAS HEARD. WHEN OPENING THE OVEN TO INVESTIGATE; A CABIN ATTENDANT WAS SINGED AND RECEIVED A BURN ON THE FOREHEAD. FIRE WAS PUT OUT WITH FIRE EXTINGUISHER.
Synopsis
DIRECTOR OF SAFETY RPTS ON AN INCIDENT IN WHICH AN OVEN WAS TURNED ON TO PREHEAT. A SMALL EXPLOSIVE SOUND WAS HEARD. WHEN OPENING THE OVEN TO INVESTIGATE; A CABIN ATTENDANT WAS SINGED AND RECEIVED A BURN ON THE FOREHEAD. FIRE WAS PUT OUT WITH FIRE EXTINGUISHER.
Narrative
AS DIRECTOR OF SAFETY THIS IS THE RPT I RECEIVED: AT APPROX XX45 CST DISPATCH WAS NOTIFIED THERE HAD BEEN AN ONBOARD FIRE IN THE AFT GALLEY OVEN APPROX 30 MINS AFTER DEP. THE FLT ATTENDANT HAD TURNED ON THE OVEN TO PREHEAT. A SMALL EXPLOSION IN OVEN WAS HEARD BY FLT ATTENDANT. 2 FLT ATTENDANTS WENT TO INVESTIGATE AND WHEN FLT ATTENDANT OPENED THE OVEN; FLAMES SHOT OUT SINGEING HER HAIR; EYEBROWS; AND EYELASHES. SHE SUSTAINED A SMALL BURN ON HER R FOREHEAD. LEAD FLT ATTENDANT GRABBED HALON FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND PUT OUT FIRE. THE CAPT DIRECTED AN ONBOARD MECH BACK TO AFT GALLEY TO INVESTIGATE. DUE TO LOCATION FLT WAS CONTINUED TO DEST. UPON LNDG THE CAPT TOOK FLT ATTENDANT TO ARPT NURSE WHO DIRECTED HER TO A MEDICAL CTR. SHE WAS SEEN BY PHYSICIAN AT MEDICAL CTR AND RELEASED. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO ACFT OR OVEN; BUT A RPT WAS FILED WITH FAA. INVESTIGATION: AN AEROSOL CAN OF AIR FRESHENER HAD AT SOME POINT BEEN PLACED IN OVEN FOR STORAGE WHICH DURING OVEN PREHEAT CAUSED IT TO RUPTURE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE SENT IN THE RPT TO SEE HOW THE SYS WORKS. HE IS DIRECTOR OF SAFETY; NOT THE INJURED FLT ATTENDANT. THE COMPANY IS STILL LOOKING INTO THE SIT AND TRYING TO DETERMINE HOW THE AEROSOL CONTAINER WAS PLACED IN THE OVEN. IT WAS THOUGHT TO BE FROM THE CLEANING CREW; BUT SEEMS MORE LIKELY TO HAVE BEEN A FLT ATTENDANT. THIS COMPANY HAD BEEN SERVING MOSTLY COLD MEALS AND OVENS WERE NOT USED. THE OVEN MAY HAVE BECOME A TEMPORARY STORAGE AREA DURING THIS TIME. NOW HOT MEALS ARE BEING SERVED. THE INVESTIGATION IS ADDRESSING THE QUESTION OF WHAT KIND OF AEROSOL IS CARRIED ON BOARD THE ACFT AND SHOULD ANY AEROSOL BE ON BOARD? THE COMPANY IS ESTABLISHING A PROGRAM TO REITERATE POLICY DURING RECURRENT TRAINING AND THROUGH MEMOS REGARDING OVEN TURN ON PROCS TO AVOID ANY FURTHER INCIDENTS. FAA IS BEING INFORMED OF ALL MEASURES INVOLVED IN THE INVESTIGATION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 388363: WE WERE VERY LUCKY THAT THERE WERE 3 FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE GALLEY AT THE SAME TIME. THEY EACH MADE A RESPONSE WHICH SAVED THE ACFT FROM FURTHER DAMAGE. 1 FLT ATTENDANT HELD THE CURTAINS OUT OF THE WAY SO THEY DID NOT HANG IN THE FIRE; 1 FLT ATTENDANT THREW BURNING ITEMS FROM THE GALLEY TO THE FLOOR SO THE FIRE COULD NOT SPREAD TO OTHER GALLEY ITEMS; AND THE THIRD RAPIDLY GRABBED AN EXTINGUISHER AND PUT OUT THE FIRE. THIS PROB COULD BE EASILY AVOIDED BY NOT USING THE OVENS FOR STORAGE AND ALSO BY CHKING THEM JUST BEFORE TURNING THEM ON. BOTH THE FO AND I WERE CONCERNED ABOUT US CONTINUING AWAY FROM THE ARPT WHILE WE WAITED FOR AN ASSESSMENT FROM THE FLT MECH. IT TOOK 5 MINS TO HEAR FROM THE FLT MECH THAT THE FIRE WAS OUT. DURING THAT TIME WE TRAVELED ALMOST 30 MI AWAY FROM THE ARPT. THE CAPT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT UNNECESSARY PAPERWORK AND ATC DISRUPTION. THAT IS WHY WE DID NOT TURN BACK. IT IS HARD TO QUESTION SOMEONE'S JUDGEMENT BUT HAD THE FLT ATTENDANTS NOT BEEN ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE WE WOULD HAVE COMPOUNDED OUR PROBS. THE FLT CONTINUED TO LAS WITHOUT INCIDENT.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.