Narrative:

Near rotate speed, we noted a very brief thump or rumble sounding like crossing a tar strip on a highway and lasting no more than 1/4 second. I was not sure if it was foreign object damage on the runway, a runway repair or a piece of nose tire since the sound was heard from the forward portion of the aircraft. I requested las tower do a runway sweep. I was advised that nothing was found. Company maintenance was contacted and we agreed that, since there was no positive indication of any problem, the flight continue to cmh. As strictly a safety precaution, I requested the emergency equipment meet the aircraft on landing. Since I had no real or positive indication of a problem and since the runway sweep in las was negative, I did not declare an emergency. The landing was normal with a smooth touchdown. As the nosewheel contacted the runway, we noted a vibration which decreased as we slowed. We exited the runway at the normal turnoff point, stopped and waited for the emergency vehicles to inspect the tires. I was informed that it was ok to taxi to the gate. A post flight inspection revealed both tires to be still inflated, but one with a piece of recap missing. Both tires were changed and the flight dispatched on schedule. If a history of nose tire failures exists, a recommendation would be to change tire manufacturers or decrease the wear limits before tires are to be changed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB PARTIAL LOSS OF NOSE TIRE RECAP.

Narrative: NEAR ROTATE SPD, WE NOTED A VERY BRIEF THUMP OR RUMBLE SOUNDING LIKE XING A TAR STRIP ON A HWY AND LASTING NO MORE THAN 1/4 SECOND. I WAS NOT SURE IF IT WAS FOREIGN OBJECT DAMAGE ON THE RWY, A RWY REPAIR OR A PIECE OF NOSE TIRE SINCE THE SOUND WAS HEARD FROM THE FORWARD PORTION OF THE ACFT. I REQUESTED LAS TWR DO A RWY SWEEP. I WAS ADVISED THAT NOTHING WAS FOUND. COMPANY MAINT WAS CONTACTED AND WE AGREED THAT, SINCE THERE WAS NO POSITIVE INDICATION OF ANY PROB, THE FLT CONTINUE TO CMH. AS STRICTLY A SAFETY PRECAUTION, I REQUESTED THE EMER EQUIP MEET THE ACFT ON LNDG. SINCE I HAD NO REAL OR POSITIVE INDICATION OF A PROB AND SINCE THE RWY SWEEP IN LAS WAS NEGATIVE, I DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER. THE LNDG WAS NORMAL WITH A SMOOTH TOUCHDOWN. AS THE NOSEWHEEL CONTACTED THE RWY, WE NOTED A VIBRATION WHICH DECREASED AS WE SLOWED. WE EXITED THE RWY AT THE NORMAL TURNOFF POINT, STOPPED AND WAITED FOR THE EMER VEHICLES TO INSPECT THE TIRES. I WAS INFORMED THAT IT WAS OK TO TAXI TO THE GATE. A POST FLT INSPECTION REVEALED BOTH TIRES TO BE STILL INFLATED, BUT ONE WITH A PIECE OF RECAP MISSING. BOTH TIRES WERE CHANGED AND THE FLT DISPATCHED ON SCHEDULE. IF A HISTORY OF NOSE TIRE FAILURES EXISTS, A RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO CHANGE TIRE MANUFACTURERS OR DECREASE THE WEAR LIMITS BEFORE TIRES ARE TO BE CHANGED.

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.