Narrative:

We were to depart on runway 18R and were cleared for takeoff. On takeoff roll, prior to reaching V1, aircraft began to swerve and I commenced with abort immediately, most certainly being unaware of reason for difficulty in maintaining directional control. After we completed abort, I had copilot look outside to assess damage/possible cause, prior to doing anything further, making certain we had no fire. He relayed to me, the left inboard tire was flat and both right mains were not in place, they were scattered back up the runway behind us. After making certain we had no fire from abort, we called for tow vehicle and van to remove passenger and aircraft. My first reaction to this event was, that we had in fact, suffered from thermal expansion plugs releasing on one or both right mains. My reasoning for this was based on the fact that where we park on the tampa airport, it is a good 3-4 mi taxi to reach runway 18R for departure. They use this runway for departures to the south, as a noise abatement procedure. Thus, I assumed the plugs had given way. Further investigation revealed we had not lost any of those plugs, they were all intact. The only thing left that the mechanics assessed could cause such an event would be some sort of foreign object being on the runway. The left inboard main was flattened or actually cut by scattering debris from the wheels separating on the right side. This was a successful abort and one I would not like to have to make again. It could have resulted in a catastrophic/fatal event. I have a strong feeling about runway debris or any type of FOD for that matter and this event, in my opinion, is a clear case that could have been totally avoided if the airport authorities utilized some type of inspection process, rather than merely waiting on someone to report debris on the runway or txwys. We were fortunate in our abort, someone else may not be quite so fortunate. This is a serious matter and one that needs to be seriously addressed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TKOF ABORTED. LOSS OF ACFT CTL.

Narrative: WE WERE TO DEPART ON RWY 18R AND WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. ON TKOF ROLL, PRIOR TO REACHING V1, ACFT BEGAN TO SWERVE AND I COMMENCED WITH ABORT IMMEDIATELY, MOST CERTAINLY BEING UNAWARE OF REASON FOR DIFFICULTY IN MAINTAINING DIRECTIONAL CTL. AFTER WE COMPLETED ABORT, I HAD COPLT LOOK OUTSIDE TO ASSESS DAMAGE/POSSIBLE CAUSE, PRIOR TO DOING ANYTHING FURTHER, MAKING CERTAIN WE HAD NO FIRE. HE RELAYED TO ME, THE L INBOARD TIRE WAS FLAT AND BOTH R MAINS WERE NOT IN PLACE, THEY WERE SCATTERED BACK UP THE RWY BEHIND US. AFTER MAKING CERTAIN WE HAD NO FIRE FROM ABORT, WE CALLED FOR TOW VEHICLE AND VAN TO REMOVE PAX AND ACFT. MY FIRST REACTION TO THIS EVENT WAS, THAT WE HAD IN FACT, SUFFERED FROM THERMAL EXPANSION PLUGS RELEASING ON ONE OR BOTH R MAINS. MY REASONING FOR THIS WAS BASED ON THE FACT THAT WHERE WE PARK ON THE TAMPA ARPT, IT IS A GOOD 3-4 MI TAXI TO REACH RWY 18R FOR DEP. THEY USE THIS RWY FOR DEPS TO THE S, AS A NOISE ABATEMENT PROC. THUS, I ASSUMED THE PLUGS HAD GIVEN WAY. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED WE HAD NOT LOST ANY OF THOSE PLUGS, THEY WERE ALL INTACT. THE ONLY THING LEFT THAT THE MECHS ASSESSED COULD CAUSE SUCH AN EVENT WOULD BE SOME SORT OF FOREIGN OBJECT BEING ON THE RWY. THE L INBOARD MAIN WAS FLATTENED OR ACTUALLY CUT BY SCATTERING DEBRIS FROM THE WHEELS SEPARATING ON THE R SIDE. THIS WAS A SUCCESSFUL ABORT AND ONE I WOULD NOT LIKE TO HAVE TO MAKE AGAIN. IT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A CATASTROPHIC/FATAL EVENT. I HAVE A STRONG FEELING ABOUT RWY DEBRIS OR ANY TYPE OF FOD FOR THAT MATTER AND THIS EVENT, IN MY OPINION, IS A CLR CASE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN TOTALLY AVOIDED IF THE ARPT AUTHORITIES UTILIZED SOME TYPE OF INSPECTION PROCESS, RATHER THAN MERELY WAITING ON SOMEONE TO RPT DEBRIS ON THE RWY OR TXWYS. WE WERE FORTUNATE IN OUR ABORT, SOMEONE ELSE MAY NOT BE QUITE SO FORTUNATE. THIS IS A SERIOUS MATTER AND ONE THAT NEEDS TO BE SERIOUSLY ADDRESSED.

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.