Narrative:

Before boarding, mechanic informed some of us flight attendants that we might not be leaving due to a mechanical. A few mins later, he came back and said 'you are leaving now, I don't think this plane should go like this but the boss said yes!' I think we shouldn't have left, but I guess an on-time departure is more important than being safe. As a #1 flight attendant, I noticed an unfamiliar loud noise by the jump seat. Captain called and asked if I noticed anything unusual and I said very loud -- too loud. Well he called me into the cockpit and it was worse. We had to talk very, very loud to each other. Captain asked for my opinion. I said, look, the noise can be heard up to first class, it might not be a safety issue, but for me it is. We can hardly communicate with each other. Who knows if due to this lack of panel something else could happen. You will have enough difficulty communicating as it is with the mexican spanish controllers (due to language) let alone not being able to hear them. Plus, due to my experience flying so many times into mex, they are not fully equipped with all maintenance tools, equipment and/or parts. Instead of being late today going to mexico (that is, if we go back to dfw) otherwise we will maybe have to stay in mex a couple of days until it can be fixed. (I've encountered this problem before -- always with a B727 aircraft.) the noise was too, too loud which also worried or made us think about our ears. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that the decision was made to return to departure airport. It was then discovered that a panel was missing from the area under the cockpit on the outside of the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT OF A B727 RETURN AFTER DEP FROM DFW DUE TO A VERY LOUD NOISE IN THE COCKPIT AND FIRST CLASS AREA. FLT WAS HDG TO MEX AND THERE WAS CONCERN ABOUT THE LANGUAGE AND THE NOISE FACTOR.

Narrative: BEFORE BOARDING, MECH INFORMED SOME OF US FLT ATTENDANTS THAT WE MIGHT NOT BE LEAVING DUE TO A MECHANICAL. A FEW MINS LATER, HE CAME BACK AND SAID 'YOU ARE LEAVING NOW, I DON'T THINK THIS PLANE SHOULD GO LIKE THIS BUT THE BOSS SAID YES!' I THINK WE SHOULDN'T HAVE LEFT, BUT I GUESS AN ON-TIME DEP IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN BEING SAFE. AS A #1 FLT ATTENDANT, I NOTICED AN UNFAMILIAR LOUD NOISE BY THE JUMP SEAT. CAPT CALLED AND ASKED IF I NOTICED ANYTHING UNUSUAL AND I SAID VERY LOUD -- TOO LOUD. WELL HE CALLED ME INTO THE COCKPIT AND IT WAS WORSE. WE HAD TO TALK VERY, VERY LOUD TO EACH OTHER. CAPT ASKED FOR MY OPINION. I SAID, LOOK, THE NOISE CAN BE HEARD UP TO FIRST CLASS, IT MIGHT NOT BE A SAFETY ISSUE, BUT FOR ME IT IS. WE CAN HARDLY COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER. WHO KNOWS IF DUE TO THIS LACK OF PANEL SOMETHING ELSE COULD HAPPEN. YOU WILL HAVE ENOUGH DIFFICULTY COMMUNICATING AS IT IS WITH THE MEXICAN SPANISH CTLRS (DUE TO LANGUAGE) LET ALONE NOT BEING ABLE TO HEAR THEM. PLUS, DUE TO MY EXPERIENCE FLYING SO MANY TIMES INTO MEX, THEY ARE NOT FULLY EQUIPPED WITH ALL MAINT TOOLS, EQUIP AND/OR PARTS. INSTEAD OF BEING LATE TODAY GOING TO MEXICO (THAT IS, IF WE GO BACK TO DFW) OTHERWISE WE WILL MAYBE HAVE TO STAY IN MEX A COUPLE OF DAYS UNTIL IT CAN BE FIXED. (I'VE ENCOUNTERED THIS PROB BEFORE -- ALWAYS WITH A B727 ACFT.) THE NOISE WAS TOO, TOO LOUD WHICH ALSO WORRIED OR MADE US THINK ABOUT OUR EARS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE DECISION WAS MADE TO RETURN TO DEP ARPT. IT WAS THEN DISCOVERED THAT A PANEL WAS MISSING FROM THE AREA UNDER THE COCKPIT ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE ACFT.

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.