Narrative:

ATC facility: mia. Location: south of mia. After departure from mia, flight attendant reported noise and vibration from vicinity of seats 4H/J. Vibration stopped around 10000 ft. Shortly thereafter, flight attendant reported unusual noise at same location. Noise sounded like air leak or air conditioning problem. Attempted to troubleshoot by manipulating aircraft controls. No effect on sound observed. Discussed with technician and dispatch. After further discussion, flight attendant advised that she thought vibration was most pronounced as aircraft was lifting off and accelerating. Described sounds as scraping or sliding. Assumed problem was an air leak at the cargo door but because of her description, thought that cargo might have shifted. Hazmat was in the compartment. Returned to mia. Declared emergency. When asked by ATC nature of problem, I advised of cargo compartment problem with possible cargo shift. I gave the worst case answer, not what I believed was most probable, which was a leak in cargo door. Landed overweight. Mia maintenance found damaged cargo door seal. Seal was obvious source of noise and vibration. Entire cockpit crew was present as compartment was opened and observed all cargo pods secure on opening, removing any question of cargo shift. Door seal repaired. Flight departed without further incident.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF B767 IS ALERTED BY FLT ATTENDANT OF A NOISE AND VIBRATION WHICH DEVELOPED AFTER TKOF AND APPEARED TO STOP AT ABOUT 10000 FT. AFTER SOME TROUBLESHOOTING, FLC DETERMINED IT MIGHT BE A CARGO DOOR LEAK OR A CARGO SHIFT. EMER DECLARED.

Narrative: ATC FACILITY: MIA. LOCATION: S OF MIA. AFTER DEP FROM MIA, FLT ATTENDANT RPTED NOISE AND VIBRATION FROM VICINITY OF SEATS 4H/J. VIBRATION STOPPED AROUND 10000 FT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, FLT ATTENDANT RPTED UNUSUAL NOISE AT SAME LOCATION. NOISE SOUNDED LIKE AIR LEAK OR AIR CONDITIONING PROB. ATTEMPTED TO TROUBLESHOOT BY MANIPULATING ACFT CTLS. NO EFFECT ON SOUND OBSERVED. DISCUSSED WITH TECHNICIAN AND DISPATCH. AFTER FURTHER DISCUSSION, FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED THAT SHE THOUGHT VIBRATION WAS MOST PRONOUNCED AS ACFT WAS LIFTING OFF AND ACCELERATING. DESCRIBED SOUNDS AS SCRAPING OR SLIDING. ASSUMED PROB WAS AN AIR LEAK AT THE CARGO DOOR BUT BECAUSE OF HER DESCRIPTION, THOUGHT THAT CARGO MIGHT HAVE SHIFTED. HAZMAT WAS IN THE COMPARTMENT. RETURNED TO MIA. DECLARED EMER. WHEN ASKED BY ATC NATURE OF PROB, I ADVISED OF CARGO COMPARTMENT PROB WITH POSSIBLE CARGO SHIFT. I GAVE THE WORST CASE ANSWER, NOT WHAT I BELIEVED WAS MOST PROBABLE, WHICH WAS A LEAK IN CARGO DOOR. LANDED OVERWT. MIA MAINT FOUND DAMAGED CARGO DOOR SEAL. SEAL WAS OBVIOUS SOURCE OF NOISE AND VIBRATION. ENTIRE COCKPIT CREW WAS PRESENT AS COMPARTMENT WAS OPENED AND OBSERVED ALL CARGO PODS SECURE ON OPENING, REMOVING ANY QUESTION OF CARGO SHIFT. DOOR SEAL REPAIRED. FLT DEPARTED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

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.