An MD80 flight crew felt a vibration during climb; but it subsided and they continued. At destinatio...

Attributes
ACN	789344
Time
Date	200805
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 13000
Environment
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : zzz.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	789344
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

During climb; and as we accelerated through 290 KTS; we felt a vibration in the aircraft. I felt it mostly in my feet. We slowed to 280 KTS; and the vibration ceased. We then accelerated; and the vibration returned briefly then disappeared; never to return. We considered returning to ZZZ but elected to continue. I queried the flight attendants; and they reported hearing or feeling nothing. En route; I called maintenance through commercial radio. The man to whom I spoke suggested that we might have had an open access panel near the nose. Maintenance met us in ZZZ2 where we discovered the APU access panel open and damaged. The back third was shredded and missing; likely the result of beating against a drain valve inches away.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 FLT CREW FELT A VIBRATION DURING CLIMB; BUT IT SUBSIDED AND THEY CONTINUED. AT DEST THEY FOUND THE APU ACCESS DOOR OPEN AND DAMAGED.

Narrative: DURING CLB; AND AS WE ACCELERATED THROUGH 290 KTS; WE FELT A VIBRATION IN THE ACFT. I FELT IT MOSTLY IN MY FEET. WE SLOWED TO 280 KTS; AND THE VIBRATION CEASED. WE THEN ACCELERATED; AND THE VIBRATION RETURNED BRIEFLY THEN DISAPPEARED; NEVER TO RETURN. WE CONSIDERED RETURNING TO ZZZ BUT ELECTED TO CONTINUE. I QUERIED THE FLT ATTENDANTS; AND THEY RPTED HEARING OR FEELING NOTHING. ENRTE; I CALLED MAINT THROUGH COMMERCIAL RADIO. THE MAN TO WHOM I SPOKE SUGGESTED THAT WE MIGHT HAVE HAD AN OPEN ACCESS PANEL NEAR THE NOSE. MAINT MET US IN ZZZ2 WHERE WE DISCOVERED THE APU ACCESS PANEL OPEN AND DAMAGED. THE BACK THIRD WAS SHREDDED AND MISSING; LIKELY THE RESULT OF BEATING AGAINST A DRAIN VALVE INCHES AWAY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.

An MD80 flight crew felt a vibration during climb; but it subsided and they continued. At destination they found the APU access door open and damaged.