Narrative:

Had just received takeoff clearance and completed checklist. The flight service manager (fsm) dinged the cockpit and had a phone discussion with the second officer. At this point the second officer made the captain and me aware of a situation in first class. There was a strange clicking noise coming out of one of the overhead bins in first class. The captain asked the fsm to come forward and discuss the situation further. The situation was not taken too seriously, but the captain decided not to takeoff till the noise had been idented. When the fsm returned to the first class cabin to find out more about the noise, it turned out a passenger had made the bag stop making the noise. However, this bag did not belong to him or any of the passenger seated in or near first class. At this point some of the passenger seated near the bag became concerned that the contents of the bag making the noise contained an electronic stereo or 'ghetto blaster.' as the situation continued to unfold with concerned passenger, no one claiming the bag, the nationality of some of the first class passenger, the misunderstanding by the fsm that a particular passenger had claimed and then denied the bag, and finally the recent incident at lockerbie, scotland lead the crew to handle the situation as a legitimate bomb scare. At this point, we referred to the operations manual, notified the company and proper authorities, and taxied to a remote area of the airport where the situation was properly concluded. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: noise source was portable electronic stereo.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN CREW OF ACR LGT DISCOVERS ODD AND OMINOUS NOISE EMANATION FROM 'SUSPICIOUS BAG' IN FIRST CLASS CABIN LUGGAGE BIN.

Narrative: HAD JUST RECEIVED TKOF CLRNC AND COMPLETED CHKLIST. THE FLT SVC MGR (FSM) DINGED THE COCKPIT AND HAD A PHONE DISCUSSION WITH THE S/O. AT THIS POINT THE S/O MADE THE CAPT AND ME AWARE OF A SITUATION IN FIRST CLASS. THERE WAS A STRANGE CLICKING NOISE COMING OUT OF ONE OF THE OVERHEAD BINS IN FIRST CLASS. THE CAPT ASKED THE FSM TO COME FORWARD AND DISCUSS THE SITUATION FURTHER. THE SITUATION WAS NOT TAKEN TOO SERIOUSLY, BUT THE CAPT DECIDED NOT TO TKOF TILL THE NOISE HAD BEEN IDENTED. WHEN THE FSM RETURNED TO THE FIRST CLASS CABIN TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE NOISE, IT TURNED OUT A PAX HAD MADE THE BAG STOP MAKING THE NOISE. HOWEVER, THIS BAG DID NOT BELONG TO HIM OR ANY OF THE PAX SEATED IN OR NEAR FIRST CLASS. AT THIS POINT SOME OF THE PAX SEATED NEAR THE BAG BECAME CONCERNED THAT THE CONTENTS OF THE BAG MAKING THE NOISE CONTAINED AN ELECTRONIC STEREO OR 'GHETTO BLASTER.' AS THE SITUATION CONTINUED TO UNFOLD WITH CONCERNED PAX, NO ONE CLAIMING THE BAG, THE NATIONALITY OF SOME OF THE FIRST CLASS PAX, THE MISUNDERSTANDING BY THE FSM THAT A PARTICULAR PAX HAD CLAIMED AND THEN DENIED THE BAG, AND FINALLY THE RECENT INCIDENT AT LOCKERBIE, SCOTLAND LEAD THE CREW TO HANDLE THE SITUATION AS A LEGITIMATE BOMB SCARE. AT THIS POINT, WE REFERRED TO THE OPS MANUAL, NOTIFIED THE COMPANY AND PROPER AUTHORITIES, AND TAXIED TO A REMOTE AREA OF THE ARPT WHERE THE SITUATION WAS PROPERLY CONCLUDED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: NOISE SOURCE WAS PORTABLE ELECTRONIC STEREO.

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.