Medium large transport departed ind with air pressure in 1 tire low.

Attributes
ACN	143434
Time
Date	199004
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ind
State Reference	IN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 19964 flight time type : 8000
ASRS Report	143434
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

An agent reported to me that he thought our #4 main tire was low. The first officer had already looked at it and decided it was ok, so I looked at it and thought it not to be out of the ordinary. So we took off and went to cle. We were very lightly loaded (78000 pounds). We also have no maintenance in ind, so I figured we could have it checked in cle. In cle a mechanic looked at the tire (a 'trained eye') and said it looked ok to him, but just to be on the safe side, he would put a tire gauge on it. It was indeed low. So how does an agent with no mechanical training decide a tire is low and 2 pilots and mechanic say it's not when it is? Beats me! But do know that this is a little embarrassing. From now on I'm going to find a local mechanic, no matter how remote the station and lack of company maintenance and get a proper reading. This time nothing happened as a result of the low tire, but I may not always be so lucky. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter said ramp agent just eyeballed the tire and thought it had an excessive bulge. When checked by mechanic at destination, tire proved to be very low in pressure. Both tires were replaced.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG DEPARTED IND WITH AIR PRESSURE IN 1 TIRE LOW.

Narrative: AN AGENT RPTED TO ME THAT HE THOUGHT OUR #4 MAIN TIRE WAS LOW. THE F/O HAD ALREADY LOOKED AT IT AND DECIDED IT WAS OK, SO I LOOKED AT IT AND THOUGHT IT NOT TO BE OUT OF THE ORDINARY. SO WE TOOK OFF AND WENT TO CLE. WE WERE VERY LIGHTLY LOADED (78000 LBS). WE ALSO HAVE NO MAINT IN IND, SO I FIGURED WE COULD HAVE IT CHKED IN CLE. IN CLE A MECH LOOKED AT THE TIRE (A 'TRAINED EYE') AND SAID IT LOOKED OK TO HIM, BUT JUST TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE, HE WOULD PUT A TIRE GAUGE ON IT. IT WAS INDEED LOW. SO HOW DOES AN AGENT WITH NO MECHANICAL TRNING DECIDE A TIRE IS LOW AND 2 PLTS AND MECH SAY IT'S NOT WHEN IT IS? BEATS ME! BUT DO KNOW THAT THIS IS A LITTLE EMBARRASSING. FROM NOW ON I'M GOING TO FIND A LCL MECH, NO MATTER HOW REMOTE THE STATION AND LACK OF COMPANY MAINT AND GET A PROPER READING. THIS TIME NOTHING HAPPENED AS A RESULT OF THE LOW TIRE, BUT I MAY NOT ALWAYS BE SO LUCKY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR SAID RAMP AGENT JUST EYEBALLED THE TIRE AND THOUGHT IT HAD AN EXCESSIVE BULGE. WHEN CHKED BY MECH AT DEST, TIRE PROVED TO BE VERY LOW IN PRESSURE. BOTH TIRES WERE REPLACED.

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.