Narrative:

On jan/wed/96 an air carrier F100 aircraft was flying a flight between XXX-ZZZ, then a flight between ZZZ-YYY. I, a ZZZ based mechanic was assigned the duty to park and service the aircraft. When the aircraft approached the gate I noticed it leaning heavily on the left wing. Upon docking the aircraft I found that the left outboard main tire was flat. I brought that to the flight crew's attention and they informed me it felt like they had a low tire. I contacted my lead mechanic and a fellow mechanic for assistance. My lead said to change both main tires. In doing this we found the left outboard main was blown and that the left outboard brake was seized up (apparently from deicing fluid attacking the carbon brakes). We changed the left outboard brake in accordance with F100 maintenance manual 32-42 and changed both left main wheel assemblies in accordance with a work card that came with the tires out of stock. When our work was complete our lead mechanic who assisted us on the job signed off the logbook and the aircraft was released for service. Around XA30 (local) the F100 took off for YYY. Upon takeoff the left outboard main wheel assembly and left outboard brake assembly fell off the aircraft as 1 piece. The aircraft returned to field and landed without incident. I do not understand why this happened but I do know we followed paperwork. Supplemental information from acn 324741: wheel was installed and torqued in accordance with maintenance manual and at no time was there any evidence of there being anything abnormal about the installation. Supplemental information from acn 324743: on arrival at ZZZ, we had experienced a flat tire on the left outboard main wheel. Maintenance then changed both left main wheels as well as a defective outer left brake assembly. Following our subsequent outbound takeoff, the tower reported that we appeared to lose at least 1 main wheel. A low-level fly-by confirmed that the outer left main wheel was missing. We then declared an emergency and entered holding in the local area to burn off fuel. After that we made an uneventful approach and landing on runway 28L at ZZZ. Passenger and crew deplaned on the taxiway. Suspected cause: improper installation. The maintenance department is currently conducting an investigation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR F100 ACFT LOST THE L HAND OUTBOARD MAIN WHEEL AND BRAKE ASSEMBLY ON TKOF FROM RWY IN ZZZ. THIS ASSEMBLY HAD JUST BEEN CHANGED AFTER THE TIRE HAD BEEN FLATTENED AND THE BRAKE FROZEN DURING THE ACFT'S ARR EARLIER.

Narrative: ON JAN/WED/96 AN ACR F100 ACFT WAS FLYING A FLT BTWN XXX-ZZZ, THEN A FLT BTWN ZZZ-YYY. I, A ZZZ BASED MECH WAS ASSIGNED THE DUTY TO PARK AND SVC THE ACFT. WHEN THE ACFT APCHED THE GATE I NOTICED IT LEANING HEAVILY ON THE L WING. UPON DOCKING THE ACFT I FOUND THAT THE L OUTBOARD MAIN TIRE WAS FLAT. I BROUGHT THAT TO THE FLC'S ATTN AND THEY INFORMED ME IT FELT LIKE THEY HAD A LOW TIRE. I CONTACTED MY LEAD MECH AND A FELLOW MECH FOR ASSISTANCE. MY LEAD SAID TO CHANGE BOTH MAIN TIRES. IN DOING THIS WE FOUND THE L OUTBOARD MAIN WAS BLOWN AND THAT THE L OUTBOARD BRAKE WAS SEIZED UP (APPARENTLY FROM DEICING FLUID ATTACKING THE CARBON BRAKES). WE CHANGED THE L OUTBOARD BRAKE IN ACCORDANCE WITH F100 MAINT MANUAL 32-42 AND CHANGED BOTH L MAIN WHEEL ASSEMBLIES IN ACCORDANCE WITH A WORK CARD THAT CAME WITH THE TIRES OUT OF STOCK. WHEN OUR WORK WAS COMPLETE OUR LEAD MECH WHO ASSISTED US ON THE JOB SIGNED OFF THE LOGBOOK AND THE ACFT WAS RELEASED FOR SVC. AROUND XA30 (LCL) THE F100 TOOK OFF FOR YYY. UPON TKOF THE L OUTBOARD MAIN WHEEL ASSEMBLY AND L OUTBOARD BRAKE ASSEMBLY FELL OFF THE ACFT AS 1 PIECE. THE ACFT RETURNED TO FIELD AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THIS HAPPENED BUT I DO KNOW WE FOLLOWED PAPERWORK. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 324741: WHEEL WAS INSTALLED AND TORQUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH MAINT MANUAL AND AT NO TIME WAS THERE ANY EVIDENCE OF THERE BEING ANYTHING ABNORMAL ABOUT THE INSTALLATION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 324743: ON ARR AT ZZZ, WE HAD EXPERIENCED A FLAT TIRE ON THE L OUTBOARD MAIN WHEEL. MAINT THEN CHANGED BOTH L MAIN WHEELS AS WELL AS A DEFECTIVE OUTER L BRAKE ASSEMBLY. FOLLOWING OUR SUBSEQUENT OUTBOUND TKOF, THE TWR RPTED THAT WE APPEARED TO LOSE AT LEAST 1 MAIN WHEEL. A LOW-LEVEL FLY-BY CONFIRMED THAT THE OUTER L MAIN WHEEL WAS MISSING. WE THEN DECLARED AN EMER AND ENTERED HOLDING IN THE LCL AREA TO BURN OFF FUEL. AFTER THAT WE MADE AN UNEVENTFUL APCH AND LNDG ON RWY 28L AT ZZZ. PAX AND CREW DEPLANED ON THE TXWY. SUSPECTED CAUSE: IMPROPER INSTALLATION. THE MAINT DEPT IS CURRENTLY CONDUCTING AN INVESTIGATION.

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.