Narrative:

On takeoff from runway 8R (reef runway) at hnl, airframe vibration developed and increased in intensity as aircraft was rotated. A loud bang was heard and it was my opinion that we had blown a tire on takeoff. We asked the tower whether they had observed any debris coming from the airframe on takeoff, to which they replied negative. I informed them that we would be returning for a precautionary landing because of the suspected tire failure, and to have the fire equipment standing by. As we completed our checklist and initiated an ILS approach to runway 4R, the tower informed us that ground personnel has been to find pieces of the tire rubber on our departure runway surface. Not knowing which tire had failed, I elected to suspend the ILS approach and instead fly a low approach to have the tower observe the landing gear to try to determine which tire was affected. Following the low and missed approach, the tower could not discern any abnormalities with any of the tires. Since the landing would have to be made west/O any information on what tire had failed, I elected to reduce oour fuel load to a minimum to reduce our gross weight and landing speed and also lessen the fuel spill potential, should a second tire on the same landing gear fail, and a fuel tank rupture. Since the aircraft was not equipped with a fuel dump system, I requested delaying vectors as the fuel was burned down. It took approximately 20 mins to reduce to our minimum landing weight, and this time was used to advantage to brief the passenger on an emergency evacuate/evacuation procedure. An ILS approach to landing was performed west/O event although the main landing gear vibrated badly on T/D. On examination, it was found that the #3 main wheel tread cap had separated at the cord level and disintegrated with the pieces perforating the trailing edge flap and damaging the main gear visibility downlock indicator. No damage was found to the #2 engine. We had flown the aircraft previously this day and this was the seventh takeoff of the day. Several of the takeoffs had been at 'heavier' gross weights (less than 100000#), but this takeoff was the heaviest at (106500#) with a V2 of 143 KTS. The system worked flawlessly with the fire trucks at the aircraft before we had completely stopped the rollout.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG BLOWS TIRE ON TKOF FROM HNL AND RETURNS TO MAKE PRECAUTIONARY LNDG AFTER BURNING OFF FUEL.

Narrative: ON TKOF FROM RWY 8R (REEF RWY) AT HNL, AIRFRAME VIBRATION DEVELOPED AND INCREASED IN INTENSITY AS ACFT WAS ROTATED. A LOUD BANG WAS HEARD AND IT WAS MY OPINION THAT WE HAD BLOWN A TIRE ON TKOF. WE ASKED THE TWR WHETHER THEY HAD OBSERVED ANY DEBRIS COMING FROM THE AIRFRAME ON TKOF, TO WHICH THEY REPLIED NEGATIVE. I INFORMED THEM THAT WE WOULD BE RETURNING FOR A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG BECAUSE OF THE SUSPECTED TIRE FAILURE, AND TO HAVE THE FIRE EQUIP STANDING BY. AS WE COMPLETED OUR CHKLIST AND INITIATED AN ILS APCH TO RWY 4R, THE TWR INFORMED US THAT GND PERSONNEL HAS BEEN TO FIND PIECES OF THE TIRE RUBBER ON OUR DEP RWY SURFACE. NOT KNOWING WHICH TIRE HAD FAILED, I ELECTED TO SUSPEND THE ILS APCH AND INSTEAD FLY A LOW APCH TO HAVE THE TWR OBSERVE THE LNDG GEAR TO TRY TO DETERMINE WHICH TIRE WAS AFFECTED. FOLLOWING THE LOW AND MISSED APCH, THE TWR COULD NOT DISCERN ANY ABNORMALITIES WITH ANY OF THE TIRES. SINCE THE LNDG WOULD HAVE TO BE MADE W/O ANY INFO ON WHAT TIRE HAD FAILED, I ELECTED TO REDUCE OOUR FUEL LOAD TO A MINIMUM TO REDUCE OUR GROSS WT AND LNDG SPD AND ALSO LESSEN THE FUEL SPILL POTENTIAL, SHOULD A SECOND TIRE ON THE SAME LNDG GEAR FAIL, AND A FUEL TANK RUPTURE. SINCE THE ACFT WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH A FUEL DUMP SYS, I REQUESTED DELAYING VECTORS AS THE FUEL WAS BURNED DOWN. IT TOOK APPROX 20 MINS TO REDUCE TO OUR MINIMUM LNDG WT, AND THIS TIME WAS USED TO ADVANTAGE TO BRIEF THE PAX ON AN EMER EVAC PROC. AN ILS APCH TO LNDG WAS PERFORMED W/O EVENT ALTHOUGH THE MAIN LNDG GEAR VIBRATED BADLY ON T/D. ON EXAMINATION, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE #3 MAIN WHEEL TREAD CAP HAD SEPARATED AT THE CORD LEVEL AND DISINTEGRATED WITH THE PIECES PERFORATING THE TRAILING EDGE FLAP AND DAMAGING THE MAIN GEAR VIS DOWNLOCK INDICATOR. NO DAMAGE WAS FOUND TO THE #2 ENG. WE HAD FLOWN THE ACFT PREVIOUSLY THIS DAY AND THIS WAS THE SEVENTH TKOF OF THE DAY. SEVERAL OF THE TKOFS HAD BEEN AT 'HEAVIER' GROSS WTS (LESS THAN 100000#), BUT THIS TKOF WAS THE HEAVIEST AT (106500#) WITH A V2 OF 143 KTS. THE SYS WORKED FLAWLESSLY WITH THE FIRE TRUCKS AT THE ACFT BEFORE WE HAD COMPLETELY STOPPED THE ROLLOUT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.