MD80 purser thought someone was trapped in the forward cargo compartment in ZDV class a.

Attributes
ACN	522033
Time
Date	200108
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zdc.artcc
State Reference	CO
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv.artcc tracon : c90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	522033
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : diverted to another airport other
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Landed short of destination for noise below first class galley. Approximately 190 mi southeast of denver, the #1 flight attendant came into the cockpit. She was visibly upset and explained to us that she thought someone was trapped in the forward cargo compartment and was rapping on the floor underneath the first class galley. I told her that we would contact operations and get word back to dfw so that the ground crew could account for all personnel. About 3-4 mins later, she came back in and said she felt certain that someone or something was down below the galley. On the most recent occurrence of this rapping, the knock had been so sharp that she turned around in the galley expecting to see someone standing behind her that had just stomped on the door. I sent the first officer back to investigate and continued to try to raise operations. He also felt the rapping, asked the passenger in seats if they had been kicking anything and they replied 'no.' he went back to the galley and felt the tapping again and subsequently came forward and said 'I think you've got someone down there.' I declared an emergency, stating that the aircraft was fine, but that we thought we had someone trapped in the cargo compartment. They descended us, per the dandd arrival and we landed on runway 16 at den 'overweight -- minimum sink rate.' ZDV, approach, and tower were very helpful and did a fine job in handling us. Den personnel responded quickly and efficiently. Baggage handlers completely unloaded the forward cargo compartment, checked the integrity of the walls and then reloaded the bags. Maintenance personnel inspected the east&east compartment. The first officer and I inspected the nosewheel well and east&east compartment and also found nothing loose. No persons were found in any of the searches. Flight attendant #2 reported that the rapping had continued from shortly before takeoff until short final in denver. During the subsequent continuation to destination, no rapping of any sort was felt.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 PURSER THOUGHT SOMEONE WAS TRAPPED IN THE FORWARD CARGO COMPARTMENT IN ZDV CLASS A.

Narrative: LANDED SHORT OF DEST FOR NOISE BELOW FIRST CLASS GALLEY. APPROX 190 MI SE OF DENVER, THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT CAME INTO THE COCKPIT. SHE WAS VISIBLY UPSET AND EXPLAINED TO US THAT SHE THOUGHT SOMEONE WAS TRAPPED IN THE FORWARD CARGO COMPARTMENT AND WAS RAPPING ON THE FLOOR UNDERNEATH THE FIRST CLASS GALLEY. I TOLD HER THAT WE WOULD CONTACT OPS AND GET WORD BACK TO DFW SO THAT THE GND CREW COULD ACCOUNT FOR ALL PERSONNEL. ABOUT 3-4 MINS LATER, SHE CAME BACK IN AND SAID SHE FELT CERTAIN THAT SOMEONE OR SOMETHING WAS DOWN BELOW THE GALLEY. ON THE MOST RECENT OCCURRENCE OF THIS RAPPING, THE KNOCK HAD BEEN SO SHARP THAT SHE TURNED AROUND IN THE GALLEY EXPECTING TO SEE SOMEONE STANDING BEHIND HER THAT HAD JUST STOMPED ON THE DOOR. I SENT THE FO BACK TO INVESTIGATE AND CONTINUED TO TRY TO RAISE OPS. HE ALSO FELT THE RAPPING, ASKED THE PAX IN SEATS IF THEY HAD BEEN KICKING ANYTHING AND THEY REPLIED 'NO.' HE WENT BACK TO THE GALLEY AND FELT THE TAPPING AGAIN AND SUBSEQUENTLY CAME FORWARD AND SAID 'I THINK YOU'VE GOT SOMEONE DOWN THERE.' I DECLARED AN EMER, STATING THAT THE ACFT WAS FINE, BUT THAT WE THOUGHT WE HAD SOMEONE TRAPPED IN THE CARGO COMPARTMENT. THEY DSNDED US, PER THE DANDD ARR AND WE LANDED ON RWY 16 AT DEN 'OVERWT -- MINIMUM SINK RATE.' ZDV, APCH, AND TWR WERE VERY HELPFUL AND DID A FINE JOB IN HANDLING US. DEN PERSONNEL RESPONDED QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY. BAGGAGE HANDLERS COMPLETELY UNLOADED THE FORWARD CARGO COMPARTMENT, CHKED THE INTEGRITY OF THE WALLS AND THEN RELOADED THE BAGS. MAINT PERSONNEL INSPECTED THE E&E COMPARTMENT. THE FO AND I INSPECTED THE NOSEWHEEL WELL AND E&E COMPARTMENT AND ALSO FOUND NOTHING LOOSE. NO PERSONS WERE FOUND IN ANY OF THE SEARCHES. FLT ATTENDANT #2 RPTED THAT THE RAPPING HAD CONTINUED FROM SHORTLY BEFORE TKOF UNTIL SHORT FINAL IN DENVER. DURING THE SUBSEQUENT CONTINUATION TO DEST, NO RAPPING OF ANY SORT WAS FELT.

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.