An air carrier DC10-10 lost its #4 wheel assembly in-flight.

Attributes
ACN	357003
Time
Date	199612
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : spn
State Reference	FO
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : spn
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff ground other : taxi
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 25000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	357003
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Aircraft seemed to take more power to taxi but conditions were so bad I wrote it off as bad WX. Approach and landing into spn were normal on taxi into gate, aircraft seemed to take more power than normal. At idle power, aircraft will roll into gate with light braking. Took some power this time to taxi into gate. I asked so to check tire pressures and wheel temperature to see if maybe there was a dragging brake. He reported to me all wheel temperatures and tire pressures were normal. When he was checking the wheels, a mechanic approached and checked the gear. On taxi out, I felt slight vibrations twice, but nothing enough for alarm. The rest is history. On chock in at nrt, ground staff exclaimed, 'your #4 wheel is missing' and sure enough, it was. The problem appeared to be bearing failure.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR DC10-10 LOST ITS #4 WHEEL ASSEMBLY INFLT.

Narrative: ACFT SEEMED TO TAKE MORE PWR TO TAXI BUT CONDITIONS WERE SO BAD I WROTE IT OFF AS BAD WX. APCH AND LNDG INTO SPN WERE NORMAL ON TAXI INTO GATE, ACFT SEEMED TO TAKE MORE PWR THAN NORMAL. AT IDLE PWR, ACFT WILL ROLL INTO GATE WITH LIGHT BRAKING. TOOK SOME PWR THIS TIME TO TAXI INTO GATE. I ASKED SO TO CHK TIRE PRESSURES AND WHEEL TEMP TO SEE IF MAYBE THERE WAS A DRAGGING BRAKE. HE RPTED TO ME ALL WHEEL TEMPS AND TIRE PRESSURES WERE NORMAL. WHEN HE WAS CHKING THE WHEELS, A MECH APCHED AND CHKED THE GEAR. ON TAXI OUT, I FELT SLIGHT VIBRATIONS TWICE, BUT NOTHING ENOUGH FOR ALARM. THE REST IS HISTORY. ON CHOCK IN AT NRT, GND STAFF EXCLAIMED, 'YOUR #4 WHEEL IS MISSING' AND SURE ENOUGH, IT WAS. THE PROB APPEARED TO BE BEARING FAILURE.

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.