Narrative:

I was working in economy and seated at 4R inboard. Soon after takeoff before FL180; flight attendants at doors 3 and 4 on the left side of the aircraft approached my seat partner and I to come feel abnormal vibrations and noise from under the floor. We were still climbing but we all knew that the sensations were not typical of anything we should be experiencing during the ascent. It was also obvious to the passenger seated in this area that these were not normal sounds and sensations. After consulting among us; the purser contacted the captain to inform him regarding our observations. He sent one of the first officer's to inspect the problem. It was relayed to me from other flight attendants who were standing next to him while he was making his observations that he told crew members that he was not happy that we were cutting into his break time which was totally inappropriate. He looked out at the wings and decided that there was possibly a problem with the flaps but that it was minor. He did not seem that concerned about the vibrations under the floor; which at this point extended from door 3 to door 4. After he returned to the cockpit information was relayed to us that there had been a write-up on the vibrations on a previous leg and that it was not dangerous. To all of us working in the back this did not seem safe or normal. Passenger were expressing concern as well. Meanwhile we started experiencing major liquid leakage out of the economy galley ceiling and more abundantly from the outside frame of the galley in the cabin area right in front of seat 50D. Supplemental information from acn 739881: a little bit later we found out from our purser that we are burning too much fuel and we might divert. After we landed we had several fire trucks and emergency cars around the airplane. First officer make a simple announcement that the maintenance is going to check the airplane we are going to refuel and we will be on our way to ZZZ1 very shortly. Passenger sitting in front of our jumpseat were just shaking their heads as they could not believe that kind of announcement was just made. How incredibly condescending. After about 15-20 mins the plane start moving. At the same time the captain came over the PA. The announcement was very casual. He mentioned we blow up the tire after takeoff in ZZZ2 and we will be deplaning here in ZZZ going through the customs and the agents will do everything possible in their power to re-book everyone to their final destination and bring everyone back to united states. Again; passenger were just shaking their heads and one of them even said; 'maybe you should let your captain know that ZZZ 'is' part of the united states.' we were ashamed; angry; but also relieved we are on the ground and we are not taking this plane to ZZZ1. As the passenger deplane; our purser came back and told us she just came down from the cockpit and one of the first officer's told her that he could never imagine that 1 piece of tire could do so much damage to the plane. She told us there is a damage in the hydraulic lining hole in the fuselage and that the comment was made from the first officer we are lucky to be alive. After hearing this statement I must have been visibly shaken up. Flight attendant supervisor in ZZZ came up to me and asked me if I was ok. I told her no; I was not and also told her what we were dealing with for almost 10 hours. The lack of communication from the captain and how stressful it was not only for the crew; but also the passenger.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANTS ARE CONCERNED THAT B747-400 FLT CREW FAILED TO TAKE THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT VIBRATIONS SERIOUSLY ON INTERNATIONAL FLT WHICH HAD TO LAND SHORT OF DESTINATION DUE TO EXCESSIVE FUEL BURN. DISCOVERED DAMAGE TO ACFT DUE TO TIRE FAILURE ON TKOF FROM DEP STATION.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING IN ECONOMY AND SEATED AT 4R INBOARD. SOON AFTER TKOF BEFORE FL180; FLT ATTENDANTS AT DOORS 3 AND 4 ON THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT APCHED MY SEAT PARTNER AND I TO COME FEEL ABNORMAL VIBRATIONS AND NOISE FROM UNDER THE FLOOR. WE WERE STILL CLBING BUT WE ALL KNEW THAT THE SENSATIONS WERE NOT TYPICAL OF ANYTHING WE SHOULD BE EXPERIENCING DURING THE ASCENT. IT WAS ALSO OBVIOUS TO THE PAX SEATED IN THIS AREA THAT THESE WERE NOT NORMAL SOUNDS AND SENSATIONS. AFTER CONSULTING AMONG US; THE PURSER CONTACTED THE CAPT TO INFORM HIM REGARDING OUR OBSERVATIONS. HE SENT ONE OF THE FO'S TO INSPECT THE PROB. IT WAS RELAYED TO ME FROM OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS WHO WERE STANDING NEXT TO HIM WHILE HE WAS MAKING HIS OBSERVATIONS THAT HE TOLD CREW MEMBERS THAT HE WAS NOT HAPPY THAT WE WERE CUTTING INTO HIS BREAK TIME WHICH WAS TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE. HE LOOKED OUT AT THE WINGS AND DECIDED THAT THERE WAS POSSIBLY A PROB WITH THE FLAPS BUT THAT IT WAS MINOR. HE DID NOT SEEM THAT CONCERNED ABOUT THE VIBRATIONS UNDER THE FLOOR; WHICH AT THIS POINT EXTENDED FROM DOOR 3 TO DOOR 4. AFTER HE RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT INFO WAS RELAYED TO US THAT THERE HAD BEEN A WRITE-UP ON THE VIBRATIONS ON A PREVIOUS LEG AND THAT IT WAS NOT DANGEROUS. TO ALL OF US WORKING IN THE BACK THIS DID NOT SEEM SAFE OR NORMAL. PAX WERE EXPRESSING CONCERN AS WELL. MEANWHILE WE STARTED EXPERIENCING MAJOR LIQUID LEAKAGE OUT OF THE ECONOMY GALLEY CEILING AND MORE ABUNDANTLY FROM THE OUTSIDE FRAME OF THE GALLEY IN THE CABIN AREA RIGHT IN FRONT OF SEAT 50D. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 739881: A LITTLE BIT LATER WE FOUND OUT FROM OUR PURSER THAT WE ARE BURNING TOO MUCH FUEL AND WE MIGHT DIVERT. AFTER WE LANDED WE HAD SEVERAL FIRE TRUCKS AND EMER CARS AROUND THE AIRPLANE. FO MAKE A SIMPLE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THE MAINT IS GOING TO CHK THE AIRPLANE WE ARE GOING TO REFUEL AND WE WILL BE ON OUR WAY TO ZZZ1 VERY SHORTLY. PAX SITTING IN FRONT OF OUR JUMPSEAT WERE JUST SHAKING THEIR HEADS AS THEY COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT KIND OF ANNOUNCEMENT WAS JUST MADE. HOW INCREDIBLY CONDESCENDING. AFTER ABOUT 15-20 MINS THE PLANE START MOVING. AT THE SAME TIME THE CAPT CAME OVER THE PA. THE ANNOUNCEMENT WAS VERY CASUAL. HE MENTIONED WE BLOW UP THE TIRE AFTER TKOF IN ZZZ2 AND WE WILL BE DEPLANING HERE IN ZZZ GOING THROUGH THE CUSTOMS AND THE AGENTS WILL DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE IN THEIR POWER TO RE-BOOK EVERYONE TO THEIR FINAL DEST AND BRING EVERYONE BACK TO UNITED STATES. AGAIN; PAX WERE JUST SHAKING THEIR HEADS AND ONE OF THEM EVEN SAID; 'MAYBE YOU SHOULD LET YOUR CAPT KNOW THAT ZZZ 'IS' PART OF THE UNITED STATES.' WE WERE ASHAMED; ANGRY; BUT ALSO RELIEVED WE ARE ON THE GND AND WE ARE NOT TAKING THIS PLANE TO ZZZ1. AS THE PAX DEPLANE; OUR PURSER CAME BACK AND TOLD US SHE JUST CAME DOWN FROM THE COCKPIT AND ONE OF THE FO'S TOLD HER THAT HE COULD NEVER IMAGINE THAT 1 PIECE OF TIRE COULD DO SO MUCH DAMAGE TO THE PLANE. SHE TOLD US THERE IS A DAMAGE IN THE HYD LINING HOLE IN THE FUSELAGE AND THAT THE COMMENT WAS MADE FROM THE FO WE ARE LUCKY TO BE ALIVE. AFTER HEARING THIS STATEMENT I MUST HAVE BEEN VISIBLY SHAKEN UP. FLT ATTENDANT SUPVR IN ZZZ CAME UP TO ME AND ASKED ME IF I WAS OK. I TOLD HER NO; I WAS NOT AND ALSO TOLD HER WHAT WE WERE DEALING WITH FOR ALMOST 10 HRS. THE LACK OF COM FROM THE CAPT AND HOW STRESSFUL IT WAS NOT ONLY FOR THE CREW; BUT ALSO THE PAX.

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.