Narrative:

During climb out after departure, we were informed by the flight attendants of a strong vibration felt in the cabin. We suspected a loose panel on the side of the aircraft that had been repaired the previous night. We slowed the aircraft and requested a return to our departure airport. Upon returning to the gate, we found that the temporary repair had failed, the panel was open. Maintenance personnel were unable to determine why the temporary repair had failed so our flight was canceled. Supplemental information from acn 479880: shortly after commencing our taxi in dfw (en route to rno) the left generator failed. Following company procedures we attempted one reset, and when this was unsuccessful, started our APU and contacted our dispatcher/maintenance control for approval to continue the flight. Once dispatcher approval was received we then completed all appropriate paperwork and checklists, and made an otherwise normal takeoff. Climbing through approximately 15000 ft a flight attendant reported that there was a noticeable vibration in and around the cabin area and that several passenger were concerned. At that time a second flight attendant called reporting generally the same information. The first officer was sent to investigate the situation. Upon his return he confirmed the vibration and noted that an electrical panel at that point along the aircraft skin had been worked on the night before. We contacted flight control to inform them of this new problem and that we were returning to dfw. ATC was then notified and an uneventful overweight landing was made in dfw. While not attempting to point fingers or 'armchair quarterbacking,' this event could possible have been avoided if company dispatcher/maintenance control had put together the facts that the left generator failed taxiing out with the work on the left generator vscf panel and the temporary patching that had been made.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT CREW RETURNED TO DEP STATION WITH ACFT VIBRATION.

Narrative: DURING CLBOUT AFTER DEP, WE WERE INFORMED BY THE FLT ATTENDANTS OF A STRONG VIBRATION FELT IN THE CABIN. WE SUSPECTED A LOOSE PANEL ON THE SIDE OF THE ACFT THAT HAD BEEN REPAIRED THE PREVIOUS NIGHT. WE SLOWED THE ACFT AND REQUESTED A RETURN TO OUR DEP ARPT. UPON RETURNING TO THE GATE, WE FOUND THAT THE TEMPORARY REPAIR HAD FAILED, THE PANEL WAS OPEN. MAINT PERSONNEL WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHY THE TEMPORARY REPAIR HAD FAILED SO OUR FLT WAS CANCELED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 479880: SHORTLY AFTER COMMENCING OUR TAXI IN DFW (ENRTE TO RNO) THE L GENERATOR FAILED. FOLLOWING COMPANY PROCS WE ATTEMPTED ONE RESET, AND WHEN THIS WAS UNSUCCESSFUL, STARTED OUR APU AND CONTACTED OUR DISPATCHER/MAINT CTL FOR APPROVAL TO CONTINUE THE FLT. ONCE DISPATCHER APPROVAL WAS RECEIVED WE THEN COMPLETED ALL APPROPRIATE PAPERWORK AND CHKLISTS, AND MADE AN OTHERWISE NORMAL TKOF. CLBING THROUGH APPROX 15000 FT A FLT ATTENDANT RPTED THAT THERE WAS A NOTICEABLE VIBRATION IN AND AROUND THE CABIN AREA AND THAT SEVERAL PAX WERE CONCERNED. AT THAT TIME A SECOND FLT ATTENDANT CALLED RPTING GENERALLY THE SAME INFO. THE FO WAS SENT TO INVESTIGATE THE SIT. UPON HIS RETURN HE CONFIRMED THE VIBRATION AND NOTED THAT AN ELECTRICAL PANEL AT THAT POINT ALONG THE ACFT SKIN HAD BEEN WORKED ON THE NIGHT BEFORE. WE CONTACTED FLT CTL TO INFORM THEM OF THIS NEW PROB AND THAT WE WERE RETURNING TO DFW. ATC WAS THEN NOTIFIED AND AN UNEVENTFUL OVERWT LNDG WAS MADE IN DFW. WHILE NOT ATTEMPTING TO POINT FINGERS OR 'ARMCHAIR QUARTERBACKING,' THIS EVENT COULD POSSIBLE HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF COMPANY DISPATCHER/MAINT CTL HAD PUT TOGETHER THE FACTS THAT THE L GENERATOR FAILED TAXIING OUT WITH THE WORK ON THE L GENERATOR VSCF PANEL AND THE TEMPORARY PATCHING THAT HAD BEEN MADE.

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.