Return land after flight crew hears strange noises outside aircraft. Door.

Attributes
ACN	223889
Time
Date	199210
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : gso
State Reference	NC
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : gso
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 7200
ASRS Report	223889
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

After takeoff from gso, noticed loud slapping noise from outside of galley door area. Discussed situation with gso operations and maintenance and informed them of decision to return to gso. Normal approach and landing was made. At gso maintenance found a 2 ft piece of door seal material hanging from galley door. Made entry in aircraft log, maintenance was accomplished and signed off, a new release received via ACARS, aircraft refueled and flight resumed about an hour late. This event was not an emergency but certainly would have been had the strip been ingested by the engine causing failure, so I thought it was prudent to land as soon as possible. The dispatcher later said the flight should have been rereleased by him back to gso. I felt I had sufficiently notified the company through gso operations and in the interest of safety, land as soon as possible without further time consuming telephone patch conversations with dispatcher.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RETURN LAND AFTER FLC HEARS STRANGE NOISES OUTSIDE ACFT. DOOR.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF FROM GSO, NOTICED LOUD SLAPPING NOISE FROM OUTSIDE OF GALLEY DOOR AREA. DISCUSSED SITUATION WITH GSO OPS AND MAINT AND INFORMED THEM OF DECISION TO RETURN TO GSO. NORMAL APCH AND LNDG WAS MADE. AT GSO MAINT FOUND A 2 FT PIECE OF DOOR SEAL MATERIAL HANGING FROM GALLEY DOOR. MADE ENTRY IN ACFT LOG, MAINT WAS ACCOMPLISHED AND SIGNED OFF, A NEW RELEASE RECEIVED VIA ACARS, ACFT REFUELED AND FLT RESUMED ABOUT AN HR LATE. THIS EVENT WAS NOT AN EMER BUT CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE BEEN HAD THE STRIP BEEN INGESTED BY THE ENG CAUSING FAILURE, SO I THOUGHT IT WAS PRUDENT TO LAND ASAP. THE DISPATCHER LATER SAID THE FLT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RERELEASED BY HIM BACK TO GSO. I FELT I HAD SUFFICIENTLY NOTIFIED THE COMPANY THROUGH GSO OPS AND IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY, LAND ASAP WITHOUT FURTHER TIME CONSUMING TELEPHONE PATCH CONVERSATIONS WITH DISPATCHER.

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.