Narrative:

At vr had very strong vibration. Asked tower if we blew a tire. He said can't tell but will check runway for rubber and will call back. On departure we received message from tower, no rubber on runway. Notified maintenance of logbook write-up. Notified dispatcher of abnormal and told him that at cvg, we do not want to land on runway 18R/36L. Also, we do not want emergency equipment. Arrived in cvg area low on fuel due to lack of tailwinds, and vectors for flow over sgf. On initial contact with approach we were informed that an emergency had been declared by cvg operations (I don't know if that is airline operations or ATC operations) and we were to hold for about 50 mins. After a little holding and some discussion with approach we decided to declare an emergency because it was already done for us. Perhaps someone had some information that we didn't. I felt that since we were low on fuel, it would be best to get the airplane on the ground and sort out the details later. Abeam the airport our fuel state was such that we had to also declare minimum fuel. Someone initially declared an emergency for us without consulting us. That was unsatisfactory. Someone also decided a good plan was to have us hold even though he didn't know our fuel state. That was also an error.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MD88 FELT VIBRATION DURING TKOF ROTATION CAUSING THEM TO HAVE TWR CHK RWY FOR POSSIBLE WHEEL PARTS AND THEN CONTINUED ON TO THEIR DEST. HOWEVER, WHEN ARRIVING AT THEIR DEST THEY FOUND THAT THE COMPANY OR ATC HAD DECLARED AN EMER FOR THEM TO WHICH THEY SUBSEQUENTLY ADDED A LOW FUEL STATE WHEN APCHING TO LAND.

Narrative: AT VR HAD VERY STRONG VIBRATION. ASKED TWR IF WE BLEW A TIRE. HE SAID CAN'T TELL BUT WILL CHK RWY FOR RUBBER AND WILL CALL BACK. ON DEP WE RECEIVED MESSAGE FROM TWR, NO RUBBER ON RWY. NOTIFIED MAINT OF LOGBOOK WRITE-UP. NOTIFIED DISPATCHER OF ABNORMAL AND TOLD HIM THAT AT CVG, WE DO NOT WANT TO LAND ON RWY 18R/36L. ALSO, WE DO NOT WANT EMER EQUIP. ARRIVED IN CVG AREA LOW ON FUEL DUE TO LACK OF TAILWINDS, AND VECTORS FOR FLOW OVER SGF. ON INITIAL CONTACT WITH APCH WE WERE INFORMED THAT AN EMER HAD BEEN DECLARED BY CVG OPS (I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS AIRLINE OPS OR ATC OPS) AND WE WERE TO HOLD FOR ABOUT 50 MINS. AFTER A LITTLE HOLDING AND SOME DISCUSSION WITH APCH WE DECIDED TO DECLARE AN EMER BECAUSE IT WAS ALREADY DONE FOR US. PERHAPS SOMEONE HAD SOME INFO THAT WE DIDN'T. I FELT THAT SINCE WE WERE LOW ON FUEL, IT WOULD BE BEST TO GET THE AIRPLANE ON THE GND AND SORT OUT THE DETAILS LATER. ABEAM THE ARPT OUR FUEL STATE WAS SUCH THAT WE HAD TO ALSO DECLARE MINIMUM FUEL. SOMEONE INITIALLY DECLARED AN EMER FOR US WITHOUT CONSULTING US. THAT WAS UNSATISFACTORY. SOMEONE ALSO DECIDED A GOOD PLAN WAS TO HAVE US HOLD EVEN THOUGH HE DIDN'T KNOW OUR FUEL STATE. THAT WAS ALSO AN ERROR.

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.