Flight attendant report regarding an MD80 which had maintenance check prior to departure. The mechan...

Attributes
ACN	427041
Time
Date	199901
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dfw
State Reference	TX
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	427041
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	426710
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other Other

Narrative:

Before passenger boarding, maintenance was looking down end of catwalk in tailcone exit and asking if we smelled anything. We said no. I have never in 10 yrs seen anyone look down the catwalk. As we took off, the other main class flight attendant and I talked via hand signals that it was quite noisy on r-hand side and vibrating. We gabbed via interphone once in the air and she went to cockpit to tell the captain as sterile was chiming off. They said they would come and listen to it. We started the beverage service. We heard (and cockpit heard) 2 loud thuds. We talked with the first class flight attendant who told us to put away carts -- we had 20 mins. Going back to dfw, no planned evacuate/evacuation. We picked up everything as the captain explained the situation to passenger. Everyone was very calm. They 'idled' the right engine and we landed without incident. Emergency vehicles were standing by. I guess the engine was totaled -- 7 blades were bent. Don't know what or if the 'smell' had anything to do with it.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT REGARDING AN MD80 WHICH HAD MAINT CHK PRIOR TO DEP. THE MECHS ASKED THE CABIN ATTENDANTS IF THEY SMELLED ANYTHING AND CHKED DOWN THE CATWALK IN THE TAIL CONE. ONCE AIRBORNE, IT WAS VERY NOISY AND VIBRATING. 2 LOUD THUDS WERE HEARD. COCKPIT INDICATED A RETURN LAND WITH CFR STANDING BY.

Narrative: BEFORE PAX BOARDING, MAINT WAS LOOKING DOWN END OF CATWALK IN TAILCONE EXIT AND ASKING IF WE SMELLED ANYTHING. WE SAID NO. I HAVE NEVER IN 10 YRS SEEN ANYONE LOOK DOWN THE CATWALK. AS WE TOOK OFF, THE OTHER MAIN CLASS FLT ATTENDANT AND I TALKED VIA HAND SIGNALS THAT IT WAS QUITE NOISY ON R-HAND SIDE AND VIBRATING. WE GABBED VIA INTERPHONE ONCE IN THE AIR AND SHE WENT TO COCKPIT TO TELL THE CAPT AS STERILE WAS CHIMING OFF. THEY SAID THEY WOULD COME AND LISTEN TO IT. WE STARTED THE BEVERAGE SVC. WE HEARD (AND COCKPIT HEARD) 2 LOUD THUDS. WE TALKED WITH THE FIRST CLASS FLT ATTENDANT WHO TOLD US TO PUT AWAY CARTS -- WE HAD 20 MINS. GOING BACK TO DFW, NO PLANNED EVAC. WE PICKED UP EVERYTHING AS THE CAPT EXPLAINED THE SIT TO PAX. EVERYONE WAS VERY CALM. THEY 'IDLED' THE R ENG AND WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. EMER VEHICLES WERE STANDING BY. I GUESS THE ENG WAS TOTALED -- 7 BLADES WERE BENT. DON'T KNOW WHAT OR IF THE 'SMELL' HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT.

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.