FLT ATTENDANT RPT; B727-200; MSY-MIA; ENG PROB ON TKOF ROLL. RETURN FOR MAINT.

Narrative

DURING THE TKOF ROLL; A LOUD GRINDING/GROANING NOISE WAS HEARD. CLOSEST APPROXIMATION WOULD BE THE SOUND A CAR MAKES WHEN TRAVELING IN THE WRONG GEAR; COUPLED WITH A NOISE LIKE AN ENG THAT HAS BEEN FOULED ON SOMETHING MIGHT MAKE. THERE WAS NO EXPLOSION TYPE NOISE; BUT THE NOISE WAS LOUD ENOUGH AND SUDDEN ENOUGH TO MAKE US (AND POSSIBLY PAX AS WELL) INSTANTLY AWARE THAT IT WAS NOT NORMAL. I WAS UNABLE TO IDENT THE SOURCE OF THE SOUND AMONG THE 3 ENGS. IT SOUNDED LIKE IT CAME FROM EVERYWHERE. THE SOUND CONTINUED; AND AT FIRST I THOUGHT THAT THE COCKPIT CREW WOULD STOP THE ACFT; BUT AFTER A SECOND OR TWO; I REALIZED THE TKOF ROLL WAS NOT SLOWING; SO I ASKED THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT (SEATED TO MY L ON THE DOUBLE JUMP SEAT AND CLOSER TO THE INTERPHONE) TO CALL THE COCKPIT. WHILE SHE WAS TALKING; THE ACFT WAS SLOWING; AND THE PLTS LATER TOLD US THAT THEIR FIRST INDICATIONS OF A PROB CAME SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE PHONE CALL. KEEP IN MIND THIS WHOLE SCENARIO TOOK MAYBE 6 SECONDS. WE MAY HAVE CALLED INSTANTLY; HAD WE BEEN MORE FAMILIAR WITH THE COCKPIT CREW; AND MORE AWARE OF THEIR 'STYLE' OF FLYING. THE PLANE PULLED OFF THE TXWY AND FAIRLY LIMPED TO THE GATE AREA; GOING VERY SLOWLY THE WHOLE WAY. I WAS LATER TOLD WE COULD OPERATE WELL WITH OUR 2 REMAINING ENGS; BUT I SUPPOSE THE TAXI-IN SEEMED EXTRAORDINARILY SLOW ONLY TO ME. THE FE TOOK US AROUND TO THE BACK AND SHOWED US THE ENG. THE ONLY THING I NOTICED WAS THAT THE BLADES LOOKED NICKED AND/OR DENTED. THE ONLY OTHER POINT I CAN STRESS IS THAT; NOT KNOWING THE COCKPIT CREW VERY WELL; MADE IT HARDER TO DECIDE WHETHER WE SHOULD CALL THEM WHEN WE HEARD THE NOISE; OR GIVE THEM A SECOND TO HANDLE IT ON THEIR OWN.