CABIN ATTENDANT RPT; MD80; DFW-PSP. TKOF PROC; LOUD POPPING NOISE; BURNING RUBBER SMELL; PROBABLY BLOWN TIRE; RETURN TO GATE; SWITCHED PLANES.

Narrative

JUST AS THE ACFT WAS ROTATING FOR TKOF; THERE WAS A LOUD POP/BANG FROM THE #1 ENG (ACFT L). A SMELL OF SOMETHING HOT (BURNING RUBBER) WAS NOTICED. I CALLED THE CAPT AND INFORMED HIM. HE SAID WE WERE GOING BACK AND THAT HE WOULD MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT. I THEN CALLED THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT AND INFORMED HER. THE CAPT MADE HIS PA; WE CHKED THE CABIN FOR LNDG. AS WE (#2 FLT ATTENDANT AND I) WERE RETURNING TO OUR SEATS; THE PAX OVER THE WING SAID IT SOUNDED LIKE A TIRE BLOWING OUT. THE CAPT HAD TOLD US HE THOUGHT IT WAS A COMPRESSOR LOCKING UP; AND THE ENG WAS RUNNING FINE. A PAX IN SEAT XA SAID HE SAW TIRE PIECES FLYING OFF (ACTUALLY HITTING THE FLAPS). THE CAPT WAS INFORMED. WE LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. BUSSES WERE BROUGHT OUT FOR THE PAX AND CREW. ANOTHER PLANE WAS READY AND OFF WE WENT AGAIN. NOTE: THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT AND I HEARD A NOISE FROM THE ENG (POP/BANG); WE DID NOT HEAR IT AS A TIRE BLOWING OUT; BUT AS AN ENG EXPLOSION. THE PAX WERE A GREAT HELP INFORMING US. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT IT WAS A BLOWN TIRE INSTEAD OF THE COMPRESSOR LOCKING UP IN THE ENG.