Narrative:

After being cleared onto the runway from taxiway a, I as the copilot did the before takeoff checklist while the captain positioned the aircraft on the runway. Once the aircraft was positioned for takeoff, I completed a visibility double-check on the aircraft systems and checklist items before looking down the runway. The visibility picture I had was a row of white lights going straight down the runway ahead. The aircraft nosewheel being just to the left to centerline by 7-8'. After initiating the takeoff and at about 30 KTS, I noticed that something did not look correct. I realized that it looked like we were on the extreme right side of the runway with the main (right) wheels to the right of the right side runway lights. Initially, I suppressed the urge to correct because I thought that I must be wrong and just a feeling of disbelief prevailed. At about 50 yds, I knew that we were to the right as I suspected, and also noticed the taxiway echo lights at 90 degrees to the runway coming up. At this point, I gradually started a left correction to the center for the runway. This is when the #3 tire deflated after hitting a light, resulting in the moderate vibration of the aircraft. The captain took control of the aircraft and aborted the takeoff at about 80 KTS. The aircraft was stopped clear of the runway on Q taxiway with the #4 tire deflated, due to blown heat plugs. The cause: the aircraft was lined up with the right side runway lights as the centerline. Contributing factors: O4L has a displaced threshold with only a yellow line to follow to the runway centerline and no centerline lights at this point, or runway markers; on a dark night it is a black hole. The aircraft, in my view, was taxied into position to the first row of lights after crossing onto the runway that pointed down the runway. The captain, who is houston based, had been on duty for more than 13 hours. The error was only discovered when the expected runway markers were missing during the takeoff roll, and other indications; e.g., the runway centerline lights on the left after leaving the displaced threshold, and just generally the picture looked wrong. Factors affecting my judgement: my disbelief that we could possibly be where we were. The decision to keep the #3 and 4 tire to the right of the runway edge lights or get back to runway centerline. The possibility of an obstruction; e.g., concrete slap, drainage ditch, existing was worse than hitting the runway edge lights. The aborted takeoff was carried out as per company procedure, and all checklists were completed. Supplemental information from acn 153062: aborted takeoff. On takeoff roll,, aircraft at approximately 60 KTS, began to shake and veer rapidly to the right (copilot flying). Aircraft was dragging to the right. Suspect right main gear, inboard tire blown. I took control, attempted to straighten aircraft. Aircraft was to the extreme right of runway. Very difficult to turn aircraft with nose wheel steering. Slowly maneuvered aircraft back to centerline and aborted takeoff. Airspeed was 90-95 KTS at the time of abort. Aircraft shook worse. 2/3 of runway remained at the time of the abort. We coasted to a stop on the last high speed taxiway. Contacted tower. Tower notified us that no smoke or fire existed. Emergency vehs were called upon to inspect right main gear. Crew informed that both right main gear tires had blown. No injuries to passenger or crew.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TKOF ABORTED WHEN PF DETERMINES THAT ACFT HAD BEEN IMPROPERLY ALIGNED ON RWY WITH RIGHT GEAR OFF THE RWY.

Narrative: AFTER BEING CLRED ONTO THE RWY FROM TXWY A, I AS THE COPLT DID THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST WHILE THE CAPT POSITIONED THE ACFT ON THE RWY. ONCE THE ACFT WAS POSITIONED FOR TKOF, I COMPLETED A VIS DOUBLE-CHK ON THE ACFT SYSTEMS AND CHKLIST ITEMS BEFORE LOOKING DOWN THE RWY. THE VIS PICTURE I HAD WAS A ROW OF WHITE LIGHTS GOING STRAIGHT DOWN THE RWY AHEAD. THE ACFT NOSEWHEEL BEING JUST TO THE LEFT TO CENTERLINE BY 7-8'. AFTER INITIATING THE TKOF AND AT ABOUT 30 KTS, I NOTICED THAT SOMETHING DID NOT LOOK CORRECT. I REALIZED THAT IT LOOKED LIKE WE WERE ON THE EXTREME RIGHT SIDE OF THE RWY WITH THE MAIN (RIGHT) WHEELS TO THE RIGHT OF THE RIGHT SIDE RWY LIGHTS. INITIALLY, I SUPPRESSED THE URGE TO CORRECT BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT I MUST BE WRONG AND JUST A FEELING OF DISBELIEF PREVAILED. AT ABOUT 50 YDS, I KNEW THAT WE WERE TO THE RIGHT AS I SUSPECTED, AND ALSO NOTICED THE TXWY ECHO LIGHTS AT 90 DEGS TO THE RWY COMING UP. AT THIS POINT, I GRADUALLY STARTED A LEFT CORRECTION TO THE CENTER FOR THE RWY. THIS IS WHEN THE #3 TIRE DEFLATED AFTER HITTING A LIGHT, RESULTING IN THE MODERATE VIBRATION OF THE ACFT. THE CAPT TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT AND ABORTED THE TKOF AT ABOUT 80 KTS. THE ACFT WAS STOPPED CLR OF THE RWY ON Q TXWY WITH THE #4 TIRE DEFLATED, DUE TO BLOWN HEAT PLUGS. THE CAUSE: THE ACFT WAS LINED UP WITH THE RIGHT SIDE RWY LIGHTS AS THE CENTERLINE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: O4L HAS A DISPLACED THRESHOLD WITH ONLY A YELLOW LINE TO FOLLOW TO THE RWY CENTERLINE AND NO CENTERLINE LIGHTS AT THIS POINT, OR RWY MARKERS; ON A DARK NIGHT IT IS A BLACK HOLE. THE ACFT, IN MY VIEW, WAS TAXIED INTO POS TO THE FIRST ROW OF LIGHTS AFTER XING ONTO THE RWY THAT POINTED DOWN THE RWY. THE CAPT, WHO IS HOUSTON BASED, HAD BEEN ON DUTY FOR MORE THAN 13 HRS. THE ERROR WAS ONLY DISCOVERED WHEN THE EXPECTED RWY MARKERS WERE MISSING DURING THE TKOF ROLL, AND OTHER INDICATIONS; E.G., THE RWY CENTERLINE LIGHTS ON THE LEFT AFTER LEAVING THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD, AND JUST GENERALLY THE PICTURE LOOKED WRONG. FACTORS AFFECTING MY JUDGEMENT: MY DISBELIEF THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY BE WHERE WE WERE. THE DECISION TO KEEP THE #3 AND 4 TIRE TO THE RIGHT OF THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS OR GET BACK TO RWY CENTERLINE. THE POSSIBILITY OF AN OBSTRUCTION; E.G., CONCRETE SLAP, DRAINAGE DITCH, EXISTING WAS WORSE THAN HITTING THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS. THE ABORTED TKOF WAS CARRIED OUT AS PER COMPANY PROC, AND ALL CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 153062: ABORTED TKOF. ON TKOF ROLL,, ACFT AT APPROX 60 KTS, BEGAN TO SHAKE AND VEER RAPIDLY TO THE RIGHT (COPLT FLYING). ACFT WAS DRAGGING TO THE RIGHT. SUSPECT RIGHT MAIN GEAR, INBOARD TIRE BLOWN. I TOOK CTL, ATTEMPTED TO STRAIGHTEN ACFT. ACFT WAS TO THE EXTREME RIGHT OF RWY. VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN ACFT WITH NOSE WHEEL STEERING. SLOWLY MANEUVERED ACFT BACK TO CENTERLINE AND ABORTED TKOF. AIRSPD WAS 90-95 KTS AT THE TIME OF ABORT. ACFT SHOOK WORSE. 2/3 OF RWY REMAINED AT THE TIME OF THE ABORT. WE COASTED TO A STOP ON THE LAST HIGH SPD TXWY. CONTACTED TWR. TWR NOTIFIED US THAT NO SMOKE OR FIRE EXISTED. EMER VEHS WERE CALLED UPON TO INSPECT RIGHT MAIN GEAR. CREW INFORMED THAT BOTH RIGHT MAIN GEAR TIRES HAD BLOWN. NO INJURIES TO PAX OR CREW.

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.