Narrative:

Aircraft was cleared to taxi into position and hold. While moving into position, the aircraft immediately behind transmitted on tower frequency that our left main tire appeared to be flat after rolling over a runway end light. Tower inquired as to my intentions, and I taxied forward to the next taxiway and exited the runway. At no time was a takeoff cleared or attempted. Fire department personnel inspected the left gear area and reported that the left outboard tire was flat, the left inboard was low, and everything else appeared normal. Maintenance arrived and changed both left tires while parked on the taxiway. While the tires were being changed, the fire department offloaded the passenger on busses and transferred them to the terminal. Flight then returned to the gate and was eventually re-dispatched to destination. Flight had a gross weight of 180000 pounds, approximately 5000 pounds below the structural maximum gross takeoff weight. The wind was estimated (wind instruments were OTS) at 280/18g25, an 80 degree crosswind. My concern was in obtaining the maximum runway available and also avoiding a #2 engine compressor stall which is so common on the large transport in a strong crosswind. The flight was cleared into position while we were discussing crosswind techniques, abort procedures, engine malfunctions and passenger announcements. It appears that the left outboard tire rolled across a runway end light and was punctured. The contributing factors to this incident were: 1) failure to complete final brief and discussion prior to taking the runway. 2) a difficult 120 degree turn from taxiway D onto runway 36L.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAXIING LGT PASSES OVER A RWY LIGHT DAMAGING A TIRE WHICH HAD TO BE REPLACED.

Narrative: ACFT WAS CLRED TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD. WHILE MOVING INTO POS, THE ACFT IMMEDIATELY BEHIND XMITTED ON TWR FREQ THAT OUR L MAIN TIRE APPEARED TO BE FLAT AFTER ROLLING OVER A RWY END LIGHT. TWR INQUIRED AS TO MY INTENTIONS, AND I TAXIED FORWARD TO THE NEXT TXWY AND EXITED THE RWY. AT NO TIME WAS A TKOF CLRED OR ATTEMPTED. FIRE DEPT PERSONNEL INSPECTED THE L GEAR AREA AND RPTED THAT THE L OUTBOARD TIRE WAS FLAT, THE L INBOARD WAS LOW, AND EVERYTHING ELSE APPEARED NORMAL. MAINT ARRIVED AND CHANGED BOTH L TIRES WHILE PARKED ON THE TXWY. WHILE THE TIRES WERE BEING CHANGED, THE FIRE DEPT OFFLOADED THE PAX ON BUSSES AND TRANSFERRED THEM TO THE TERMINAL. FLT THEN RETURNED TO THE GATE AND WAS EVENTUALLY RE-DISPATCHED TO DEST. FLT HAD A GROSS WT OF 180000 LBS, APPROX 5000 LBS BELOW THE STRUCTURAL MAX GROSS TKOF WT. THE WIND WAS ESTIMATED (WIND INSTS WERE OTS) AT 280/18G25, AN 80 DEG XWIND. MY CONCERN WAS IN OBTAINING THE MAX RWY AVAILABLE AND ALSO AVOIDING A #2 ENG COMPRESSOR STALL WHICH IS SO COMMON ON THE LGT IN A STRONG XWIND. THE FLT WAS CLRED INTO POS WHILE WE WERE DISCUSSING XWIND TECHNIQUES, ABORT PROCS, ENG MALFUNCTIONS AND PAX ANNOUNCEMENTS. IT APPEARS THAT THE L OUTBOARD TIRE ROLLED ACROSS A RWY END LIGHT AND WAS PUNCTURED. THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS INCIDENT WERE: 1) FAILURE TO COMPLETE FINAL BRIEF AND DISCUSSION PRIOR TO TAKING THE RWY. 2) A DIFFICULT 120 DEG TURN FROM TXWY D ONTO RWY 36L.

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.