Narrative:

Flight departed cvg-mke. Climbing through 8000 ft MSL; flight attendant notified us of a banging noise coming from the right side of the aircraft near rows 10; 11; 12. I (first officer) was flying the aircraft; took over the #1 radio while the captain dealt with the problem. The flight attendant told the captain the noise was first observed after takeoff and the passenger were concerned and worried and want to talk to the pilots to find out what was wrong. The captain consulted maintenance. Maintenance had a couple of ideas of what the problem (not safety concern) might be and initially we considered continuing to mke. The aircraft had no aerodynamic problems; engine problems; etc. Everything seemed normal in the cockpit except for a barely perceptible banging noise and vibration. The captain continued to talk to maintenance and they effectively ruled out maintenance's first theories. The flight attendants continued to call with passenger concerns. The captain; myself; and maintenance determined the flight should return to cvg. I coordinated with ATC; the captain briefed the passenger. We turned back to cvg. We knew that we had a maintenance issue that was not affecting the safety of the flight as determined by the normal functioning of the aircraft; but a return to cvg to have the aircraft looked at would be prudent. A few mins after turning back to cvg; the noise stopped. We landed at cvg; an emergency was not declared; because the aircraft was acting normally. We extended the gear early; because the flight attendants initially said they heard the noise after gear retraction. The gear extended normally -- no unusual noises were heard. The aircraft landed normally and taxied to the gate. Upon inspection; the fuel door was observed open; and the fuel cap was missing. It is assumed that the fuel cap separated from the aircraft after turning back to cvg. It is normally screwed onto the fuel port after refueling. If not; it is hanging freely by approximately an 8-INCH chain. I assume that the noise heard by the passenger was the cap banging against wing. The wing was scratched where the cap hit the wing. The fuel door remained attached to the aircraft and undamaged. The captain and myself had considered an outside access door may be open; including the fuel door; but we really did not know for sure. Normally; the fueler is responsible to close the door and screw the cap on. Also; the tug driver on pushback along with wing walkers is to verify all outside access doors closed. I don't know if the door was closed or not on pushback. The fueler was still fueling the aircraft after I completed the walkaround and had positioned myself on the flight deck to perform other duties. My maintenance concern is for being scrutinized for not declaring an emergency. From the captain's judgement and myself; it did not seem necessary. The aircraft operated normally; all indications were normal; the noise went away; the gear extended normally. I concurred that we had a minor mechanical issue that needed to be sorted out in cvg. Also; the passenger were not happy; and I think they would have been more upset if we continued 50 minutes to mke rather than returning the 10 mins to cvg. They were concerned though; flight attendants were concerned also. Although inconvenient; we returned to cvg.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CRJ700 RETURN LAND AFTER PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS RPTED A BANGING NOISE ON TKOF. FOUND FUEL DOOR OPEN AND CAP MISSING.

Narrative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

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.