FLT ATTENDANT RPT; S80; DFW-LAS; LOUD NOISE; TAPED CARGO DOOR; TURB. DIVERT BACK TO DFW.

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I HAD JUST GOTTEN OFF MY JUMP SEAT TO HELP WITH THE BEVERAGE SVC WHEN THE FLT ATTENDANT JUMP SEAT RIDER INFORMED ME THAT THE PLANE WAS MUCH LOUDER THAN NORMAL AND SHE HAD NOTICED A 'MISSING' SOUND. I ALSO OBSERVED IT AT THE TIME. THERE WAS A LOUD VIBRATING SOUND; AND ALSO LIKE A 'MISSING' SOUND; WE THOUGHT POSSIBLY FROM THE ENG. I CALLED THE COCKPIT AND RPTED THE LOUD VIBRATING SOUND AND ALSO THE 'MISSING' SOUND. CAPT SAID THAT SOMEONE WOULD BE BACK TO CHK ON IT AS SOON AS THEY COULD. THE VIBRATING SOUND SEEMED TO INTENSIFY ALONG WITH THE STILL REMAINING 'MISSING' SOUND. FLT ATTENDANT #2 AND I ALSO DISCUSSED THE MATTER. I KNOW THAT THE SUPER 80 IS SOMETIMES LOUD IN THE AFT PART OF THE CABIN BUT THIS PROB WAS UNUSUAL. I DECIDED I WOULD GO UP TO THE COCKPIT AND TALK TO THEM AGAIN. PAX WERE GETTING VERY NERVOUS AND ALSO NOTICED THE NOISE AND THE 'MISSING' SOUND. I TRIED TO TELL THEM THINGS TO KEEP THEM CALM. I TOLD THE PLTS AGAIN; IT WAS NOT GOOD IN THE BACK AND PAX WERE GETTING SCARED. CAPT SAID THE INSTS INDICATED THAT EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL; AND HE DID NOT KNOW WHAT THE PROB WAS IN THE BACK. I THEN TOLD FLT ATTENDANT #1 WHAT THE CAPT SAID; BUT THAT I WAS CONCERNED. WE KNEW THE HANDLE ON THE CARGO DOOR HAD BEEN BROKEN OFF AND TAPED OVER AND WONDERED IF POSSIBLY SOMETHING HAPPENED. NO ONE NOTICED IN FIRST CLASS. WE THEN HIT SOME TURB AND BTWN THAT; THE VIBRATION AND THIS 'MISSING' SOUND; IT MADE US NERVOUS ALSO. WE SAT DURING SOME OF THE TURB. I WALKED BACK TO CHK ON THE PAX; AND SUGGESTED SHE MAKE SOME PA'S AND I WOULD TRY TO KEEP THE PEOPLE CALM. SOME WERE CRYING NOW. I REASSURED THE PAX THE INSTS READ EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL; BUT SOMETIMES WINDS CAN CREATE OTHER DIFFERENT SOUNDS. AT THAT TIME I BELIEVE; FLT ATTENDANT #1 ALSO TOLD THEM IT WAS NOT GOOD IN COACH. THEY THEN NOTICED THE UNUSUAL VIBRATION AND FO WENT TO THE BACK OF THE ACFT. I BELIEVE THAT THE FO DID TALK TO A MECH THAT WAS SITTING IN COACH. HE NOTICED SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT. I WAS TALKING WITH FLT ATTENDANT #1 WHEN FO SAID WE WERE DIVERTING. I DID NOT HEAR A PA FROM THE CAPT. SO I; FLT ATTENDANT #4; TRIED TO CALL THE COCKPIT. THERE WAS NO ANSWER. FLT ATTENDANT #4 AND I THOUGHT WITH FLT ATTENDANT WE SHOULD MAINTAIN SVC. FLT ATTENDANT #1 MADE A PA THEN; STATING WE WOULD BE LNDG IN ABOUT 15 MINS. WE WERE DIVERTING BACK TO DFW. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THEY TOOK A DELAY IN DFW FOR THE BROKEN CARGO DOOR HANDLE; AND FINALLY THE MECHS JUST TAPED IT CLOSED. THE AIRLINE MECH PAX; HAD STATED THAT HE THOUGHT THE 'MISSING' SOUND HEARD BY THE PAX AND CABIN CREW; WAS PROBABLY A MISSING BEARING IN THE #1 ENG. WHEN THE CAPT FINALLY BELIEVED SOMETHING WAS WRONG; HE IMMEDIATELY TURNED THE PLANE AROUND TO GO BACK TO DFW. HE NEVER MADE ANY ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PAX; OTHER THAN THEY WERE TURNING AROUND. THE RPTR SAID THAT THE CAPT EVENTUALLY THANKED THE RPTR FOR BEING PERSISTENT AND NOT GIVING UP WHEN HE REFUSED TO TAKE HER OBSERVATIONS SERIOUSLY. HOWEVER; SHE FAULTS HIM WITH BEING VERY UNCOMMUNICATIVE WITH THE PAX. THEY DID CANCEL THE FLT AND TAKE THE PLANE OTS.