Narrative:

During the takeoff roll, a loud grinding/groaning noise was heard. Closest approximation would be the sound a car makes when traveling in the wrong gear, coupled with a noise like an engine that has been fouled on something might make. There was no explosion type noise, but the noise was loud enough and sudden enough to make us (and possibly passenger as well) instantly aware that it was not normal. I was unable to identify the source of the sound among the 3 engines. It sounded like it came from everywhere. The sound continued, and at first I thought that the cockpit crew would stop the aircraft, but after a second or two, I realized the takeoff roll was not slowing, so I asked the #2 flight attendant (seated to my left on the double jump seat and closer to the interphone) to call the cockpit. While she was talking, the aircraft was slowing, and the pilots later told us that their first indications of a problem came simultaneously with the phone call. Keep in mind this whole scenario took maybe 6 seconds. We may have called instantly, had we been more familiar with the cockpit crew, and more aware of their 'style' of flying. The plane pulled off the taxiway and fairly limped to the gate area, going very slowly the whole way. I was later told we could operate well with our 2 remaining engines, but I suppose the taxi-in seemed extraordinarily slow only to me. The flight engineer took us around to the back and showed us the engine. The only thing I noticed was that the blades looked nicked and/or dented. The only other point I can stress is that, not knowing the cockpit crew very well, made it harder to decide whether we should call them when we heard the noise, or give them a second to handle it on their own.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT, B727-200, MSY-MIA, ENG PROB ON TKOF ROLL. RETURN FOR MAINT.

Narrative: DURING THE TKOF ROLL, A LOUD GRINDING/GROANING NOISE WAS HEARD. CLOSEST APPROXIMATION WOULD BE THE SOUND A CAR MAKES WHEN TRAVELING IN THE WRONG GEAR, COUPLED WITH A NOISE LIKE AN ENG THAT HAS BEEN FOULED ON SOMETHING MIGHT MAKE. THERE WAS NO EXPLOSION TYPE NOISE, BUT THE NOISE WAS LOUD ENOUGH AND SUDDEN ENOUGH TO MAKE US (AND POSSIBLY PAX AS WELL) INSTANTLY AWARE THAT IT WAS NOT NORMAL. I WAS UNABLE TO IDENT THE SOURCE OF THE SOUND AMONG THE 3 ENGS. IT SOUNDED LIKE IT CAME FROM EVERYWHERE. THE SOUND CONTINUED, AND AT FIRST I THOUGHT THAT THE COCKPIT CREW WOULD STOP THE ACFT, BUT AFTER A SECOND OR TWO, I REALIZED THE TKOF ROLL WAS NOT SLOWING, SO I ASKED THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT (SEATED TO MY L ON THE DOUBLE JUMP SEAT AND CLOSER TO THE INTERPHONE) TO CALL THE COCKPIT. WHILE SHE WAS TALKING, THE ACFT WAS SLOWING, AND THE PLTS LATER TOLD US THAT THEIR FIRST INDICATIONS OF A PROB CAME SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE PHONE CALL. KEEP IN MIND THIS WHOLE SCENARIO TOOK MAYBE 6 SECONDS. WE MAY HAVE CALLED INSTANTLY, HAD WE BEEN MORE FAMILIAR WITH THE COCKPIT CREW, AND MORE AWARE OF THEIR 'STYLE' OF FLYING. THE PLANE PULLED OFF THE TXWY AND FAIRLY LIMPED TO THE GATE AREA, GOING VERY SLOWLY THE WHOLE WAY. I WAS LATER TOLD WE COULD OPERATE WELL WITH OUR 2 REMAINING ENGS, BUT I SUPPOSE THE TAXI-IN SEEMED EXTRAORDINARILY SLOW ONLY TO ME. THE FE TOOK US AROUND TO THE BACK AND SHOWED US THE ENG. THE ONLY THING I NOTICED WAS THAT THE BLADES LOOKED NICKED AND/OR DENTED. THE ONLY OTHER POINT I CAN STRESS IS THAT, NOT KNOWING THE COCKPIT CREW VERY WELL, MADE IT HARDER TO DECIDE WHETHER WE SHOULD CALL THEM WHEN WE HEARD THE NOISE, OR GIVE THEM A SECOND TO HANDLE IT ON THEIR OWN.

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.