Hi,

A couple of weeks ago I had an interesting flight experience and would like to hear your thoughts.

I was going from Amsterdam to Newark with Delta on a Boeing 767-300. The plane was delayed two times and I was later told by a flight attendant that there had been a technical problem with the plane which had caused the flight the day before to be canceled.

When we had boarded and the plane started to taxi out on the runway there was a very high, random, metallic, clonking sound coming from underneath the airplane. I sat next to a flight attendant who used a phone to make the captain aware of the situation. The plane stopped and after a while the captain told us that they had found out that the sound was due to a problem with the fuel. "The fuel have been filled in the wrong tank" or something in that line.

We went back to the gate to "move the fuel to the right tank". There were several technicians on the plane who asked about the nature of the clonking sound. After about an hour the fuel problem that caused the sound was fixed and we went back out on the runway. The same clonking sound was still present.

After a few minutes the captain made an announcement and I expected him to say that we were going back to the gate again. But instead he said that we should not worry about the sound – and we took off.

This incident raises several questions:
1. Why wasn't the problem with the misplace fuel noticed before our first take off attempt?
2. Since the clonking sound didn't have anything to do with the misplaced fuel – what would have happened if we would have taken of without moving the fuel?
3. And off course; How come the plane took off with a known, but unsolved, problem?

 

You were safe. Safety is ALWAYS the top priority. We don't fly airplanes that aren't airworthy. The plane didn't take off with an unsolved issue. There are many sounds that occur in the back of the plane. You're also only getting part of the story second hand. It's difficult to determine what occurred without actually being up in the cockpit and talking to the crew.

 

Thanks for the response.
The sound was not in the back of the plane. I sat at row 20 and would guess that the sound originated in that area or in front. I can guarantee that it was not a normal sound. It sounded like someone was standing under the plane, hitting it with a sledgehammer. It was obviously something wrong since the flight attendant made the pilot abort the take-off.
Perhaps the reason why many off the passengers felt unsafe was that we first got an explanation to the cause of the sound (fuel problem) but once that was taken care of the sound was still present. That’s why I’m claiming that the plane took off with an unsolved problem.

 

A few years ago I got on a regional flight, Phoenix AZ to Palm Springs, I think. Lots of delays. We actually got on the runway, powered up to take off, and the airplane began the takeoff roll. The power came back to idle, then reverse, we braked, and exited the runway. The captain made an announcement that he thought we were "too heavy to take off," and we taxied back to the gate. The flight was subsequently cancelled. I chose a different airline.

If the flight managed to get that far and only then decided that the preflight planning was inadequate, it was definitely not safe.

I wasn't on board your flight, so can't comment, but at whatever point you don't feel comfortable, it's a good time to consider a different course.