Narrative:

We departed ZZZ after a maintenance delay for an APU deferral. Aircraft also was minus pack #2 and capped to a maximum altitude of FL310. During our climb passing FL255 at 300 KIAS; we began to feel a light to moderate airframe vibration in the cockpit. We continued our climb and reduced our speed to stop the vibrations. 30 seconds into the event; the aft cabin called and said the aft galley had a moderate vibration and the carts were shaking rather strongly and that the flight attendants and passenger were alarmed. The vibrations were strong enough that I could hear the carts over the intercom. We slowed to .71 mach at FL310 to stop the vibrations. This was the second airframe vibration event in 2 days. We phone patched with dispatch and maintenance. Advised them of the problem and the flight parameters and asked for suggestions. Maintenance wanted us to see if we could stop the vibrations by any flight control movement. We advised we would try to do some troubleshooting on the descent. We agreed to continue to ZZZ1 at a reduced speed since we had plenty of fuel and the vibrations had stopped. It was our understanding that we would make a decision at ZZZ1 as to what to do about our return (scheduled for the same aircraft). On the descent; we tried to duplicate the vibrations and were unsuccessful and advised maintenance. At that point we believed there to be an elevator problem as described on the A320 flight airframe vibration page. On descent; we ACARS'ed dispatch to find out about the plan for the aircraft; and were advised that we had a plane change and that our aircraft was going with a different crew to ZZZ2. This was surprising; given that we had not formally refused the aircraft yet. We were given no reason for the swap. The first officer and I had already decided to refuse the aircraft and chalked it up to dispatch's crystal ball. We were concerned about the other crew so as to make sure they had the complete picture; we sent a pass-down message per the fom that stated the following: 'aircraft refused for second hit on airframe vibration. Vibrations intense enough to scare the passenger and flight attendants.' I did not leave my name and domicile due to space. I was given no reason for the aircraft swap nor did we have time to ask. After arriving at ZZZ1; contract maintenance did a quick inspection/debrief and signed off the aircraft. I became concerned that the outbound crew didn't have the full picture. I found them and was able to debrief the captain. They were not aware of the pass-down write-up.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 DEVELOPED A LIGHT TO MODERATE AIRFRAME BUFFET AT 300 KTS AT FL255. BELIEVED TO BE AN ELEVATOR PROB; BUFFET CEASED AFTER CREW SLOWED TO MACH PT 71; FL310; AND CREW CONTINUED TO DEST.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED ZZZ AFTER A MAINT DELAY FOR AN APU DEFERRAL. ACFT ALSO WAS MINUS PACK #2 AND CAPPED TO A MAX ALT OF FL310. DURING OUR CLB PASSING FL255 AT 300 KIAS; WE BEGAN TO FEEL A LIGHT TO MODERATE AIRFRAME VIBRATION IN THE COCKPIT. WE CONTINUED OUR CLB AND REDUCED OUR SPD TO STOP THE VIBRATIONS. 30 SECONDS INTO THE EVENT; THE AFT CABIN CALLED AND SAID THE AFT GALLEY HAD A MODERATE VIBRATION AND THE CARTS WERE SHAKING RATHER STRONGLY AND THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX WERE ALARMED. THE VIBRATIONS WERE STRONG ENOUGH THAT I COULD HEAR THE CARTS OVER THE INTERCOM. WE SLOWED TO .71 MACH AT FL310 TO STOP THE VIBRATIONS. THIS WAS THE SECOND AIRFRAME VIBRATION EVENT IN 2 DAYS. WE PHONE PATCHED WITH DISPATCH AND MAINT. ADVISED THEM OF THE PROB AND THE FLT PARAMETERS AND ASKED FOR SUGGESTIONS. MAINT WANTED US TO SEE IF WE COULD STOP THE VIBRATIONS BY ANY FLT CTL MOVEMENT. WE ADVISED WE WOULD TRY TO DO SOME TROUBLESHOOTING ON THE DSCNT. WE AGREED TO CONTINUE TO ZZZ1 AT A REDUCED SPD SINCE WE HAD PLENTY OF FUEL AND THE VIBRATIONS HAD STOPPED. IT WAS OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WOULD MAKE A DECISION AT ZZZ1 AS TO WHAT TO DO ABOUT OUR RETURN (SCHEDULED FOR THE SAME ACFT). ON THE DSCNT; WE TRIED TO DUPLICATE THE VIBRATIONS AND WERE UNSUCCESSFUL AND ADVISED MAINT. AT THAT POINT WE BELIEVED THERE TO BE AN ELEVATOR PROB AS DESCRIBED ON THE A320 FLT AIRFRAME VIBRATION PAGE. ON DSCNT; WE ACARS'ED DISPATCH TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE PLAN FOR THE ACFT; AND WERE ADVISED THAT WE HAD A PLANE CHANGE AND THAT OUR ACFT WAS GOING WITH A DIFFERENT CREW TO ZZZ2. THIS WAS SURPRISING; GIVEN THAT WE HAD NOT FORMALLY REFUSED THE ACFT YET. WE WERE GIVEN NO REASON FOR THE SWAP. THE FO AND I HAD ALREADY DECIDED TO REFUSE THE ACFT AND CHALKED IT UP TO DISPATCH'S CRYSTAL BALL. WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE OTHER CREW SO AS TO MAKE SURE THEY HAD THE COMPLETE PICTURE; WE SENT A PASS-DOWN MESSAGE PER THE FOM THAT STATED THE FOLLOWING: 'ACFT REFUSED FOR SECOND HIT ON AIRFRAME VIBRATION. VIBRATIONS INTENSE ENOUGH TO SCARE THE PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS.' I DID NOT LEAVE MY NAME AND DOMICILE DUE TO SPACE. I WAS GIVEN NO REASON FOR THE ACFT SWAP NOR DID WE HAVE TIME TO ASK. AFTER ARRIVING AT ZZZ1; CONTRACT MAINT DID A QUICK INSPECTION/DEBRIEF AND SIGNED OFF THE ACFT. I BECAME CONCERNED THAT THE OUTBOUND CREW DIDN'T HAVE THE FULL PICTURE. I FOUND THEM AND WAS ABLE TO DEBRIEF THE CAPT. THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF THE PASS-DOWN WRITE-UP.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.