A321
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Total 22800
Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition
Aircraft; Company Policy
The plane landed the night before with an emergency due to loud banging and vibration. Upon communication with the inbound crew we felt the plane was not sufficiently repaired for passenger service. We refused the plane for passenger service but elected to do a pilots only ferry. In route the plane started making the same loud banging noises that were previously described and they reverberated throughout the aircraft. We elected to [Request Priority Handling] and upon slowing to 250 kts. indicated the banging stopped. We proceeded to an uneventful landing. I will add that ATC kept us quite high and we had to make a higher than normal rate of descent. The Aircraft was stable in VFR by 600 ft.Maintenance believed the aircraft was repaired but the description given by the inbound crew of the issues experienced did not coincide with the repair. Maintenance found a loose piece of rubber seal but the inbound crew was adamant that the problem was more serious in nature. I feel the Company should have conducted a test flight with qualified Test pilots before returning the aircraft to passenger service.
An Air Carrier pilot reported refusing an aircraft for passenger surface and while conducting a ferry flight previously reported banging sounds and vibration occurred.