Narrative:

While en route from mke to lax at FL310 over oma aboard our MD88 aircraft, we were notified that our #1 engine made a loud pop noise from our flight attendants. We checked all our engine gauges and they were normal. We, one at a time, went back to inspect the galley floor as our flight attendants reported it to be vibrating. We discussed all our options. We were too heavy to land in oma. The WX was good, so we returned to mke. The aircraft was inspected. Found soft FOD from ice from airstair door drain being clogged. Flight attendants did a great job advocating they were uncomfortable and wanted to land to have aircraft checked over, even though all cockpit indications were good!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD88 HAS TO RETURN LAND WHEN THE CREW SUSPECTS FOD TO #1 ENG. SOFT FOD FOUND TO BE FROM ICE FROM L DOOR AIRSTAIR DRAIN.

Narrative: WHILE ENRTE FROM MKE TO LAX AT FL310 OVER OMA ABOARD OUR MD88 ACFT, WE WERE NOTIFIED THAT OUR #1 ENG MADE A LOUD POP NOISE FROM OUR FLT ATTENDANTS. WE CHKED ALL OUR ENG GAUGES AND THEY WERE NORMAL. WE, ONE AT A TIME, WENT BACK TO INSPECT THE GALLEY FLOOR AS OUR FLT ATTENDANTS RPTED IT TO BE VIBRATING. WE DISCUSSED ALL OUR OPTIONS. WE WERE TOO HVY TO LAND IN OMA. THE WX WAS GOOD, SO WE RETURNED TO MKE. THE ACFT WAS INSPECTED. FOUND SOFT FOD FROM ICE FROM AIRSTAIR DOOR DRAIN BEING CLOGGED. FLT ATTENDANTS DID A GREAT JOB ADVOCATING THEY WERE UNCOMFORTABLE AND WANTED TO LAND TO HAVE ACFT CHKED OVER, EVEN THOUGH ALL COCKPIT INDICATIONS WERE GOOD!

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.