Narrative:

Air carrier X observed air carrier Y decelerating on runway 21C. The left main gear was smoking (greyish-white) heavily for 1000'. As air carrier Y started to turn off runway centerline to exit the runway at either taxiway V or runway 9-27, I saw a tire on the left main gear explode and throw rubber on the runway. I immediately called east ground control (119.45) and advised them that air carrier Y had blown a tire and that they should hold departures as air carrier Z was coming onto the runway 21C for departure. At the time of my call, air carrier Y had not completely exited 21C. East ground called air carrier Y to advise them that an aircraft had reported that they had a blown tire. We (captain, jump seater and myself) then observed air carrier Z begin its takeoff roll on runway 21C. Again I called east ground and asked if he had told the tower about my call. He said he had. We, in the cockpit, felt that although the time from my call to the start of air carrier Z takeoff roll was approximately 10 seconds, that there was sufficient time to have cancelled air carrier Z's takeoff or aborted it. The possible debris could have had serious consequences. Fortunately, air carrier Z departed west/O incidence. Further departures were halted until a veh checked the runway. I do not know the results of the inspection. When air carrier Y taxied past us, we all saw the large hole in the outboard tire of the aircraft's left tire. Later I asked the tower to save the ground and tower tapes for the past 15 mins for review. I notified my airline's safety committee and submitted a report to my company. Better staffing or coordination between ground control and tower might have prevented this. Additionally, if I had asked in the tower frequency (118.4) and made the call, I might have stopped the departure. Visibility was not a factor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR Z DEPARTED WITH DEBRIS ON THE RWY FROM BLOWN TIRE OF ACR Y.

Narrative: ACR X OBSERVED ACR Y DECELERATING ON RWY 21C. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR WAS SMOKING (GREYISH-WHITE) HEAVILY FOR 1000'. AS ACR Y STARTED TO TURN OFF RWY CENTERLINE TO EXIT THE RWY AT EITHER TXWY V OR RWY 9-27, I SAW A TIRE ON THE LEFT MAIN GEAR EXPLODE AND THROW RUBBER ON THE RWY. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED E GND CTL (119.45) AND ADVISED THEM THAT ACR Y HAD BLOWN A TIRE AND THAT THEY SHOULD HOLD DEPS AS ACR Z WAS COMING ONTO THE RWY 21C FOR DEP. AT THE TIME OF MY CALL, ACR Y HAD NOT COMPLETELY EXITED 21C. E GND CALLED ACR Y TO ADVISE THEM THAT AN ACFT HAD RPTED THAT THEY HAD A BLOWN TIRE. WE (CAPT, JUMP SEATER AND MYSELF) THEN OBSERVED ACR Z BEGIN ITS TKOF ROLL ON RWY 21C. AGAIN I CALLED E GND AND ASKED IF HE HAD TOLD THE TWR ABOUT MY CALL. HE SAID HE HAD. WE, IN THE COCKPIT, FELT THAT ALTHOUGH THE TIME FROM MY CALL TO THE START OF ACR Z TKOF ROLL WAS APPROX 10 SECS, THAT THERE WAS SUFFICIENT TIME TO HAVE CANCELLED ACR Z'S TKOF OR ABORTED IT. THE POSSIBLE DEBRIS COULD HAVE HAD SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. FORTUNATELY, ACR Z DEPARTED W/O INCIDENCE. FURTHER DEPS WERE HALTED UNTIL A VEH CHKED THE RWY. I DO NOT KNOW THE RESULTS OF THE INSPECTION. WHEN ACR Y TAXIED PAST US, WE ALL SAW THE LARGE HOLE IN THE OUTBOARD TIRE OF THE ACFT'S LEFT TIRE. LATER I ASKED THE TWR TO SAVE THE GND AND TWR TAPES FOR THE PAST 15 MINS FOR REVIEW. I NOTIFIED MY AIRLINE'S SAFETY COMMITTEE AND SUBMITTED A RPT TO MY COMPANY. BETTER STAFFING OR COORDINATION BTWN GND CTL AND TWR MIGHT HAVE PREVENTED THIS. ADDITIONALLY, IF I HAD ASKED IN THE TWR FREQ (118.4) AND MADE THE CALL, I MIGHT HAVE STOPPED THE DEP. VISIBILITY WAS NOT A FACTOR.

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.