A loud rumbling air noise from the mid cabin area of an A300 results in a return for investigation.

Attributes
ACN	537033
Time
Date	200201
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mia.airport
State Reference	FL
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mia.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified flight attendant aircraft qualified on : 7
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 11 flight attendant time total : 11 flight attendant time type : 50
ASRS Report	537033
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe cabin event other non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

After takeoff as we were climbing, a very loud noise was coming out of my door area. It sounded like air/rumbling noise, so I called the cockpit. They were concerned enough that the first officer came out to try to identify the 'source' and they decided to turn the aircraft around and land back at mia, so we did. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: in-flight investigation found that the source of the noise was the drain system at the small mid galley. It had been stuffed with paper towels by a previous crew to lessen the noise. When removed the noise was quite loud. After maintenance investigated they took the aircraft OTS for further investigation and the flight was canceled.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LOUD RUMBLING AIR NOISE FROM THE MID CABIN AREA OF AN A300 RESULTS IN A RETURN FOR INVESTIGATION.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF AS WE WERE CLBING, A VERY LOUD NOISE WAS COMING OUT OF MY DOOR AREA. IT SOUNDED LIKE AIR/RUMBLING NOISE, SO I CALLED THE COCKPIT. THEY WERE CONCERNED ENOUGH THAT THE FO CAME OUT TO TRY TO IDENT THE 'SOURCE' AND THEY DECIDED TO TURN THE ACFT AROUND AND LAND BACK AT MIA, SO WE DID. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: INFLT INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT THE SOURCE OF THE NOISE WAS THE DRAIN SYS AT THE SMALL MID GALLEY. IT HAD BEEN STUFFED WITH PAPER TOWELS BY A PREVIOUS CREW TO LESSEN THE NOISE. WHEN REMOVED THE NOISE WAS QUITE LOUD. AFTER MAINT INVESTIGATED THEY TOOK THE ACFT OTS FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION AND THE FLT WAS CANCELED.

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.