Flybe/Dash400
I've just returned from a trip from Glasgow to Southampton with Flybe. There was an incident on the outward flight which concerned me and I would be grateful for any comments.
We took off from Glasgow and after 10 minutes or so the seat belt sign went off and my headphones went on. Shortly after I started thinking that the batteries in my headphones were needing replacing as i could hear a high pitched whining sound. I took the headphones off and realised that the noise was coming from inside the plane.
It was loud and at one stage a cabin crew member picked up the internal telephone and (I assume) called the flight deck and moved the handset to the area where the noise was coming from. The cabin crew were well aware that passengers were aware of and uncomfortable about the noise.
We landed without incident at Southampton and I am quite happy to accept that there was no safety issue. My query relates to the fact that at no time was any information given from the flight deck about the noise or its cause. I can appreciate that if there was a real issue, the first priority must be to ensure the safety of the plane - and its passengers. I don't think that this was the case here and as we left the plane (after delays caused by the non-appearance of Flybe groundstaff - the pilot seemed to be making a pre-flight inspection prior to the next departure.
Are there any suggestions as to what the noise might have been caused by and also what should the response of the flight crew have been? It was clear that they were informed of the noise. Presumably in pre 9/11 days one of them may have come to listen in person. I'm surprised that they did not make an announcement. All we had was approaching Southampton and the cabin crew ten minutes to landing message.