Medium large transport experiences severe nose wheel vibration upon landing.

Attributes
ACN	128998
Time
Date	198911
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phl
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ewr
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 737
ASRS Report	128998
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Upon landing phl a vibration in the nose strut was experienced, feeling like the centerline alignment lights and increasing until a complete deterioration of the nose wheel assembly was apparent. Upon stopping the aircraft on the runway in phl, the tower was asked if they could see any smoke or fire from the nose strut area. The tower indicated that they had a clear view of our nose strut and saw no smoke or fire. I decided that an emergency evacuate/evacuation was not warranted and advised tower that assistance was not required, however, our maintenance would have to come out and remove the aircraft from the runway. The F/a's and passenger were then notified of the situation and told to remain seated. Maintenance then replaced the nose tire and towed the aircraft to the gate. It has also been reported that the nose wheels have been replaced several times during the last eight days due to bald spots, however, no attempt to find the cause of the bald spots was made. Whatever the cause of the bald spots was the obvious cause of both my nose wheel tires on 11/xx/89.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG EXPERIENCES SEVERE NOSE WHEEL VIBRATION UPON LNDG.

Narrative: UPON LNDG PHL A VIBRATION IN THE NOSE STRUT WAS EXPERIENCED, FEELING LIKE THE CENTERLINE ALIGNMENT LIGHTS AND INCREASING UNTIL A COMPLETE DETERIORATION OF THE NOSE WHEEL ASSEMBLY WAS APPARENT. UPON STOPPING THE ACFT ON THE RWY IN PHL, THE TWR WAS ASKED IF THEY COULD SEE ANY SMOKE OR FIRE FROM THE NOSE STRUT AREA. THE TWR INDICATED THAT THEY HAD A CLEAR VIEW OF OUR NOSE STRUT AND SAW NO SMOKE OR FIRE. I DECIDED THAT AN EMER EVAC WAS NOT WARRANTED AND ADVISED TWR THAT ASSISTANCE WAS NOT REQUIRED, HOWEVER, OUR MAINT WOULD HAVE TO COME OUT AND REMOVE THE ACFT FROM THE RWY. THE F/A'S AND PAX WERE THEN NOTIFIED OF THE SITUATION AND TOLD TO REMAIN SEATED. MAINT THEN REPLACED THE NOSE TIRE AND TOWED THE ACFT TO THE GATE. IT HAS ALSO BEEN REPORTED THAT THE NOSE WHEELS HAVE BEEN REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE LAST EIGHT DAYS DUE TO BALD SPOTS, HOWEVER, NO ATTEMPT TO FIND THE CAUSE OF THE BALD SPOTS WAS MADE. WHATEVER THE CAUSE OF THE BALD SPOTS WAS THE OBVIOUS CAUSE OF BOTH MY NOSE WHEEL TIRES ON 11/XX/89.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.