Narrative:

Just prior to takeoff from mfe, flight attendant #2 called and informed me that there was a very loud sound, accompanied by vibration around row 16. I sent the first officer back and he verified the ground personnel investigation, because of the sounds coming from the cargo area. At the gate, I shut down the #2 engine and sent the first officer down to help with the examination of the bay. Nothing out of the ordinary was discovered and following some further unsuccessful efforts to discover the source of the sound, elected to try to take off again. The takeoff was uneventful. While awaiting the gate at destination the sound and vibration reoccurred. I again sent the first officer back to investigate, and he told me that there was a grinding sound. We could not isolate a reason for the sound/vibration and it was at this time that I decided to write up the occurrence in the logbook. I knew at that time that we had very little to relate to maintenance, and yet the aircraft in my mind definitely had something wrong with it. Following a lengthy discussion with maintenance, the decision was made to take the aircraft OTS. I make this report only to document the facts behind the event. I am confident of my decision, even though it resulted in the aircraft being taken OTS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BEFORE TKOF CREW INVESTIGATES STRANGE SOUNDS FROM CARGO AREA OF ACFT TO FIND NOTHING. AFTER LNDG AT DEST SOUND RETURNS, SOURCE COULD NOT BE FOUND, LOG ITEM IS ENTERED IN MAINT RECORD FOLLOWED BY ACFT BEING TAKEN OTS.

Narrative: JUST PRIOR TO TKOF FROM MFE, FLT ATTENDANT #2 CALLED AND INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS A VERY LOUD SOUND, ACCOMPANIED BY VIBRATION AROUND ROW 16. I SENT THE FO BACK AND HE VERIFIED THE GND PERSONNEL INVESTIGATION, BECAUSE OF THE SOUNDS COMING FROM THE CARGO AREA. AT THE GATE, I SHUT DOWN THE #2 ENG AND SENT THE FO DOWN TO HELP WITH THE EXAMINATION OF THE BAY. NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY WAS DISCOVERED AND FOLLOWING SOME FURTHER UNSUCCESSFUL EFFORTS TO DISCOVER THE SOURCE OF THE SOUND, ELECTED TO TRY TO TAKE OFF AGAIN. THE TKOF WAS UNEVENTFUL. WHILE AWAITING THE GATE AT DEST THE SOUND AND VIBRATION REOCCURRED. I AGAIN SENT THE FO BACK TO INVESTIGATE, AND HE TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A GRINDING SOUND. WE COULD NOT ISOLATE A REASON FOR THE SOUND/VIBRATION AND IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT I DECIDED TO WRITE UP THE OCCURRENCE IN THE LOGBOOK. I KNEW AT THAT TIME THAT WE HAD VERY LITTLE TO RELATE TO MAINT, AND YET THE ACFT IN MY MIND DEFINITELY HAD SOMETHING WRONG WITH IT. FOLLOWING A LENGTHY DISCUSSION WITH MAINT, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO TAKE THE ACFT OTS. I MAKE THIS RPT ONLY TO DOCUMENT THE FACTS BEHIND THE EVENT. I AM CONFIDENT OF MY DECISION, EVEN THOUGH IT RESULTED IN THE ACFT BEING TAKEN OTS.

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.