Narrative:

Due to WX and cancellations, this crew was made up of several different crews. Because of this, there was no initial crew briefing or communication with the cabin. Taxi out was normal. On rollout, as the captain was accelerating, the right engine appeared to sputter 3 times and seemed to be straining. It took what seemed to be an unusually long time to get off the runway. I remember thinking we needed to abort or we wouldn't have enough runway for takeoff. After we finally got in the air, the right engine was running quite loud. The #2 flight attendant and the deadheader commented they could not hear themselves talk. We discussed calling the cockpit, but decided to wait and see if it got better after leveling off. About 10-15 mins in the air (just as we were preparing to take out carts), we heard 3 successive loud pops come from the right engine. I told #2 flight attendant to take her seat as soon as possible and went quickly back to mine. I called the cockpit, but got no response. I called the #2 flight attendant and asked if they head heard the pops. I advised one of them to go into the cockpit and make sure they knew about it. At that time, I noticed we still had ovens and coffee makers on, so I quickly got up and turned off all galley power. After about 10 mins, the captain called back with 2 chines and asked for the #2 flight attendant to go to the cockpit. At this point the engine noise had been greatly reduced, but it was making a weird grinding noise. The captain made a PA that we had experienced a compression stall and although he wanted to continue on, he was discussing our options with dispatch. I relayed the information through #2 flight attendant about the strange takeoff grinding noise. The captain felt very unconcerned about both, but dispatch decided to return us to boston. No emergency checklist was ever advised. Upon arrival, fire trucks and rescue vehicles met the aircraft. The airplane was taken OTS for severe engine damage. The crew communication on this flight was very bad. At no time did the captain ask any flight attendant in the aft section of the aircraft what we had heard or experienced during this situation. Most of the information we received as crew members was over the PA along with the rest of the passenger. I also felt the captain did not take the situation seriously enough. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that because of a snow storm in the northeast, she had been reassigned at the last min, and the passenger were already boarding when she arrived. She believes that the captain didn't want to take this seriously, because he was in a hurry to get to lax for a party. They circled for about 45 mins while they talked to dispatch, and they dumped fuel. At no time did either the captain or first officer come back to check out the engine's noise. The captain told the passenger that they were going back as a precaution, and they'd only be on the ground for 45 mins and then take off for dallas. After they landed, a mechanic came on board and told the reporter that the engine had practically shredded its blades and would have to be replaced by a new one. This reinforced her feelings about the captain's lack of precaution and leadership.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, S80, BOS-DFW. ROLLOUT, R ENG NOISES, CLBOUT 3 LOUD POPS GRINDING NOISE. RETURN TO BOS. SHREDDED ENG BLADES. CAPT NEGLIGENT.

Narrative: DUE TO WX AND CANCELLATIONS, THIS CREW WAS MADE UP OF SEVERAL DIFFERENT CREWS. BECAUSE OF THIS, THERE WAS NO INITIAL CREW BRIEFING OR COM WITH THE CABIN. TAXI OUT WAS NORMAL. ON ROLLOUT, AS THE CAPT WAS ACCELERATING, THE R ENG APPEARED TO SPUTTER 3 TIMES AND SEEMED TO BE STRAINING. IT TOOK WHAT SEEMED TO BE AN UNUSUALLY LONG TIME TO GET OFF THE RWY. I REMEMBER THINKING WE NEEDED TO ABORT OR WE WOULDN'T HAVE ENOUGH RWY FOR TKOF. AFTER WE FINALLY GOT IN THE AIR, THE R ENG WAS RUNNING QUITE LOUD. THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT AND THE DEADHEADER COMMENTED THEY COULD NOT HEAR THEMSELVES TALK. WE DISCUSSED CALLING THE COCKPIT, BUT DECIDED TO WAIT AND SEE IF IT GOT BETTER AFTER LEVELING OFF. ABOUT 10-15 MINS IN THE AIR (JUST AS WE WERE PREPARING TO TAKE OUT CARTS), WE HEARD 3 SUCCESSIVE LOUD POPS COME FROM THE R ENG. I TOLD #2 FLT ATTENDANT TO TAKE HER SEAT ASAP AND WENT QUICKLY BACK TO MINE. I CALLED THE COCKPIT, BUT GOT NO RESPONSE. I CALLED THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT AND ASKED IF THEY HEAD HEARD THE POPS. I ADVISED ONE OF THEM TO GO INTO THE COCKPIT AND MAKE SURE THEY KNEW ABOUT IT. AT THAT TIME, I NOTICED WE STILL HAD OVENS AND COFFEE MAKERS ON, SO I QUICKLY GOT UP AND TURNED OFF ALL GALLEY PWR. AFTER ABOUT 10 MINS, THE CAPT CALLED BACK WITH 2 CHINES AND ASKED FOR THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT TO GO TO THE COCKPIT. AT THIS POINT THE ENG NOISE HAD BEEN GREATLY REDUCED, BUT IT WAS MAKING A WEIRD GRINDING NOISE. THE CAPT MADE A PA THAT WE HAD EXPERIENCED A COMPRESSION STALL AND ALTHOUGH HE WANTED TO CONTINUE ON, HE WAS DISCUSSING OUR OPTIONS WITH DISPATCH. I RELAYED THE INFO THROUGH #2 FLT ATTENDANT ABOUT THE STRANGE TKOF GRINDING NOISE. THE CAPT FELT VERY UNCONCERNED ABOUT BOTH, BUT DISPATCH DECIDED TO RETURN US TO BOSTON. NO EMER CHKLIST WAS EVER ADVISED. UPON ARR, FIRE TRUCKS AND RESCUE VEHICLES MET THE ACFT. THE AIRPLANE WAS TAKEN OTS FOR SEVERE ENG DAMAGE. THE CREW COM ON THIS FLT WAS VERY BAD. AT NO TIME DID THE CAPT ASK ANY FLT ATTENDANT IN THE AFT SECTION OF THE ACFT WHAT WE HAD HEARD OR EXPERIENCED DURING THIS SIT. MOST OF THE INFO WE RECEIVED AS CREW MEMBERS WAS OVER THE PA ALONG WITH THE REST OF THE PAX. I ALSO FELT THE CAPT DID NOT TAKE THE SIT SERIOUSLY ENOUGH. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT BECAUSE OF A SNOW STORM IN THE NE, SHE HAD BEEN REASSIGNED AT THE LAST MIN, AND THE PAX WERE ALREADY BOARDING WHEN SHE ARRIVED. SHE BELIEVES THAT THE CAPT DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY, BECAUSE HE WAS IN A HURRY TO GET TO LAX FOR A PARTY. THEY CIRCLED FOR ABOUT 45 MINS WHILE THEY TALKED TO DISPATCH, AND THEY DUMPED FUEL. AT NO TIME DID EITHER THE CAPT OR FO COME BACK TO CHK OUT THE ENG'S NOISE. THE CAPT TOLD THE PAX THAT THEY WERE GOING BACK AS A PRECAUTION, AND THEY'D ONLY BE ON THE GND FOR 45 MINS AND THEN TAKE OFF FOR DALLAS. AFTER THEY LANDED, A MECH CAME ON BOARD AND TOLD THE RPTR THAT THE ENG HAD PRACTICALLY SHREDDED ITS BLADES AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED BY A NEW ONE. THIS REINFORCED HER FEELINGS ABOUT THE CAPT'S LACK OF PRECAUTION AND LEADERSHIP.

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.