Narrative:

Shortly after takeoff from cle airport, en route to ord, the forward galley service door seal began leaking, creating a high shrill noise. The noise became loud and was noticeable in the cockpit about the same time our first class flight attendant notified me. I checked the cockpit door warning lights and cabin pressurization at that time all seemed normal. I felt it was no more than a leaking seal, with no impact to flight safety, so I therefore elected to continue our short flight (0 plus 55) to ord. I advised our flight attendant that the noise may subside as we further pressurized the aircraft. I also advised him that he could reseat any first class passenger in the coach cabin if they so desired. As we climbed to cruise altitude (FL280) the noise loudly persisted. We spent a short time at cruise altitude (approximately 15 mins) and then began a descent into ord. Again hoping the noise would subside. It never did. We landed uneventfully and reported the problem to ord maintenance for the necessary repairs. After the passenger had deplaned, I was notified by the fsm of an irate first class passenger who felt the safety of the flight was impacted and threatened to take his story to the local FAA. I was not aware of this passenger in-flight, and did not have the opportunity to speak with this man. In my opinion, at no time was the safety of our flight in question. As per my instructions, the man was offered, and refused a seat in coach class. In the future, I advised my fsm to immediately notify me of any problem with a passenger, as our airline and myself personally have effective procedures to handle irate passenger. Supplemental information from acn 240388: fsm then informed us of a very irate passenger in first class who was extremely upset about the noise, to the point that he became very abusive to the attendants, and caused physical damage to the seat in front of him. They also told us that, as he left the aircraft, he demanded to be taken to the airport FAA office to inform them of the situation. Maintenance found a tear in the door seal in ord. Replaced the seal, checked pressurization, and certified us for flight.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LEAKING DOOR SEAL IRRITATES PAX WHO CREATES ACFT DAMAGE TO FIRST CLASS SEAT.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER TKOF FROM CLE ARPT, ENRTE TO ORD, THE FORWARD GALLEY SVC DOOR SEAL BEGAN LEAKING, CREATING A HIGH SHRILL NOISE. THE NOISE BECAME LOUD AND WAS NOTICEABLE IN THE COCKPIT ABOUT THE SAME TIME OUR FIRST CLASS FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFIED ME. I CHKED THE COCKPIT DOOR WARNING LIGHTS AND CABIN PRESSURIZATION AT THAT TIME ALL SEEMED NORMAL. I FELT IT WAS NO MORE THAN A LEAKING SEAL, WITH NO IMPACT TO FLT SAFETY, SO I THEREFORE ELECTED TO CONTINUE OUR SHORT FLT (0 PLUS 55) TO ORD. I ADVISED OUR FLT ATTENDANT THAT THE NOISE MAY SUBSIDE AS WE FURTHER PRESSURIZED THE ACFT. I ALSO ADVISED HIM THAT HE COULD RESEAT ANY FIRST CLASS PAX IN THE COACH CABIN IF THEY SO DESIRED. AS WE CLBED TO CRUISE ALT (FL280) THE NOISE LOUDLY PERSISTED. WE SPENT A SHORT TIME AT CRUISE ALT (APPROX 15 MINS) AND THEN BEGAN A DSCNT INTO ORD. AGAIN HOPING THE NOISE WOULD SUBSIDE. IT NEVER DID. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AND RPTED THE PROB TO ORD MAINT FOR THE NECESSARY REPAIRS. AFTER THE PAX HAD DEPLANED, I WAS NOTIFIED BY THE FSM OF AN IRATE FIRST CLASS PAX WHO FELT THE SAFETY OF THE FLT WAS IMPACTED AND THREATENED TO TAKE HIS STORY TO THE LCL FAA. I WAS NOT AWARE OF THIS PAX INFLT, AND DID NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH THIS MAN. IN MY OPINION, AT NO TIME WAS THE SAFETY OF OUR FLT IN QUESTION. AS PER MY INSTRUCTIONS, THE MAN WAS OFFERED, AND REFUSED A SEAT IN COACH CLASS. IN THE FUTURE, I ADVISED MY FSM TO IMMEDIATELY NOTIFY ME OF ANY PROB WITH A PAX, AS OUR AIRLINE AND MYSELF PERSONALLY HAVE EFFECTIVE PROCS TO HANDLE IRATE PAX. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 240388: FSM THEN INFORMED US OF A VERY IRATE PAX IN FIRST CLASS WHO WAS EXTREMELY UPSET ABOUT THE NOISE, TO THE POINT THAT HE BECAME VERY ABUSIVE TO THE ATTENDANTS, AND CAUSED PHYSICAL DAMAGE TO THE SEAT IN FRONT OF HIM. THEY ALSO TOLD US THAT, AS HE LEFT THE ACFT, HE DEMANDED TO BE TAKEN TO THE ARPT FAA OFFICE TO INFORM THEM OF THE SIT. MAINT FOUND A TEAR IN THE DOOR SEAL IN ORD. REPLACED THE SEAL, CHKED PRESSURIZATION, AND CERTIFIED US FOR FLT.

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.