Noises and bangs

[conner69]

I am a former PPL holder and take a lot of notice of noises going on around me in an aircraft (A little knowledge IS a dangerous thing). Recently I was in the rear of a BNI Trimotor tween Auckland and Great Barrier. For the first ten minutes of the flight there was a heavy unusual vibration in the rear of the aircraft where I was sitting. On landing at Claris I discretely told the pilot. He said thanks and he would tell the engineers. Question is do you pilots want to hear these kind of comments from pax or would you rather not be bothered. Query prompted by the prop that fell off sister aircraft on Sunday last !!!:confused:

[TightSlot]

conner69 - I believe that the lost prop blade was off of the right engine on the trislander according to the media that I've seen (which probably means almost anything).

The answer would be YES - tell them. A well-intentioned warning will always be welcomed and considered by a professional pilot. Professional Cabin Crew will always relay your comments to the pilots on larger aircraft. That's how it should be. If it isn't, it reflects more on the professionalism of those crew involved than on your attitude.

[PENKO]

Once, a passenger alerted us about one of the panels on our left wing fluttering. We kind of laughed it away, but during the walkaround the captain saw some hydraulic fluid leaking from the left wing...

Called an engineer who quickly found out that one of the spoiler actuators was split in half. Hence the fluttering the passenger described. So, yes, please tell us!

[G SXTY]

If something doesn't look or sound quite right, please do let the cabin crew know.

We once had a passenger disembark and mention that he'd heard a 'funny noise' during the approach to land, about the same time as the flaps were deploying. No noise or other symptoms on the flightdeck, all indications normal. An extra thorough walkround revealed nothing amiss. The very next sector, another passenger noticed 'a funny noise just before landing', at which point we snagged the aircraft and called in the engineers. They bled the hydraulic systems and declared us good to go. A couple of sectors after that, one of the engine-driven hydraulic pumps lunched itself . . .

99% of the time the flight crew or engineers will be the first to spot a problem. I like having passengers' eyes and ears for that other 1%. :ok:

[Razoray]

It is great to hear that from professional pilots. I am an SLF who is always listining for noises ect....

My last flight was from St. Thomas to JFK on a 757. We were on the wing. The left engine sounded like it was out of round. It had a bit of a wobble sound to it. When the pilots switched for rest the wobble was soon gone and the engines sounded fine. Is there anything to that?

In the future I will say something...better safe than sorry.....
Only thing is I will probally scare the pants off some off the other SLF!
:E

[PaperTiger]

Yes, bring it to the attention of the crew. Be insistent if necessary; a salutory tale: http://www.pprune.org/archive/index.php//t-3224.html

[SNS3Guppy]

I am both a pilot and mechanic, and without hesitation I want to hear from you if there's anything you think might need be brought to my attention. I can't speak for anyone else, but certainly I welcome your observations. When we are on a flight together, we both have a stake in the outcome of the flight, and we both pay the penalty if something goes wrong. Accordingly, if you have something you feel noteworthy, regardless of what it may be, I fully expect that you'll let me, or one of my crew know. If it's important to you, rest assured, it's important to me.

In a light airplane, I always tell passengers that if they see something that they think might be worthy of my attention (anything at all), speak up. If I don't hear them, tap on my shoulder, and if it's urgent, simply point. They will have my undivided attention.

Your observations are not only important, but should always be appreciated. A pilot who fails to do so fails to avail himself or herself of an excellent resource, and another valued pair of eyes...yours. Don't see that as a reflection on you: you're doing the right thing by asking, and certainly the right thing by reporting what you've seen, felt, smelt, or heard.

[FSXFan]

A couple of years back I was on short haul Aer Lingus flight, I believe it was a 737-500 before they phased them out, sitting about 7 rows forward of the emergency exit on the right hand side. There was a very strange vibration/noise coming from under the floor that was very evident the moment we got into the air - and its tempo seemed to vary with the engine speed. At cruising altitude it wasn't so noticeable. It wasn't just me - the woman sitting in front of me was very alarmed and alerted the cabin crew. It was obviously nothing important as we continued on our way, but I haven't heard anything like it since!