Narrative:

Our gross takeoff weight was about 700 pounds below rtow of 48501 pounds. We departed on runway 31L at dfw with a slight crosswind. From experience I know that runway has several uneven areas and will start a rocking motion in the nose gear. I applied some back pressure on the yoke during the takeoff roll to reduce oscillation. Still, we encountered 5 or 6 times a violent up and down motion with aircraft nose gear. The nose gear bottomed out during the last 2 up and down motions (metal to metal sounds). I was in fear of possibly losing control of the nosewheel tiller. This runway 31L is dangerous for takeoff. In the future: if a stronger crosswind exists and high takeoff weight is present, I will refuse runway 31L for takeoff. Can you alert dfw of this condition. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this reporter is an ATR72-200 captain and he said that he has operated several types of aircraft on runway 31L in the last several yrs. The runway has several 'dips' in it that cause the nosewheel of two of the aircraft types that he has flown to compress as the aircraft comes up the far side of each dip during the takeoff run. He said that if his present aircraft is at or near its maximum gross weight for takeoff the nosewheel strut will compress to the point of contacting the stops with an accompanying loud bang. These 'dips' start at about 1500 ft from the threshold of runway for the first. The second irregularity starts about 500 ft beyond the first according to the reporter. The last dip, apparently, starts just before the taxiway A4 intersection. The captain feels that each surface irregularity is as bad as the first. According to the reporter several of his company's capts have complained to the tower and their chief pilot with no success. Many capts refuse to use this runway now and that is, apparently, causing disruptions in the dfw operation. The reporter said that he was in the chief pilot's office several weeks ago when a tower supervisor supposedly called to question why a pilot would not accept a departure from runway 31L. He said that the chief pilot supported the pilot's decision because of the condition of the runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR ATR72 CAPT COMPLAINS ABOUT THE CONDITION OF THE TKOF END OF RWY 31L AT DFW. HE SAYS THAT THIS SECTION OF RWY HAS SEVERAL LARGE 'DIPS' THAT CAN CAUSE ACFT THAT ARE NEAR THEIR MAX GROSS WT FOR TKOF TO COMPLETELY COMPRESS THE NOSE GEAR STRUT WITH POSSIBLY DAMAGING RESULTS.

Narrative: OUR GROSS TKOF WT WAS ABOUT 700 LBS BELOW RTOW OF 48501 LBS. WE DEPARTED ON RWY 31L AT DFW WITH A SLIGHT XWIND. FROM EXPERIENCE I KNOW THAT RWY HAS SEVERAL UNEVEN AREAS AND WILL START A ROCKING MOTION IN THE NOSE GEAR. I APPLIED SOME BACK PRESSURE ON THE YOKE DURING THE TKOF ROLL TO REDUCE OSCILLATION. STILL, WE ENCOUNTERED 5 OR 6 TIMES A VIOLENT UP AND DOWN MOTION WITH ACFT NOSE GEAR. THE NOSE GEAR BOTTOMED OUT DURING THE LAST 2 UP AND DOWN MOTIONS (METAL TO METAL SOUNDS). I WAS IN FEAR OF POSSIBLY LOSING CTL OF THE NOSEWHEEL TILLER. THIS RWY 31L IS DANGEROUS FOR TKOF. IN THE FUTURE: IF A STRONGER XWIND EXISTS AND HIGH TKOF WT IS PRESENT, I WILL REFUSE RWY 31L FOR TKOF. CAN YOU ALERT DFW OF THIS CONDITION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS RPTR IS AN ATR72-200 CAPT AND HE SAID THAT HE HAS OPERATED SEVERAL TYPES OF ACFT ON RWY 31L IN THE LAST SEVERAL YRS. THE RWY HAS SEVERAL 'DIPS' IN IT THAT CAUSE THE NOSEWHEEL OF TWO OF THE ACFT TYPES THAT HE HAS FLOWN TO COMPRESS AS THE ACFT COMES UP THE FAR SIDE OF EACH DIP DURING THE TKOF RUN. HE SAID THAT IF HIS PRESENT ACFT IS AT OR NEAR ITS MAX GROSS WT FOR TKOF THE NOSEWHEEL STRUT WILL COMPRESS TO THE POINT OF CONTACTING THE STOPS WITH AN ACCOMPANYING LOUD BANG. THESE 'DIPS' START AT ABOUT 1500 FT FROM THE THRESHOLD OF RWY FOR THE FIRST. THE SECOND IRREGULARITY STARTS ABOUT 500 FT BEYOND THE FIRST ACCORDING TO THE RPTR. THE LAST DIP, APPARENTLY, STARTS JUST BEFORE THE TXWY A4 INTXN. THE CAPT FEELS THAT EACH SURFACE IRREGULARITY IS AS BAD AS THE FIRST. ACCORDING TO THE RPTR SEVERAL OF HIS COMPANY'S CAPTS HAVE COMPLAINED TO THE TWR AND THEIR CHIEF PLT WITH NO SUCCESS. MANY CAPTS REFUSE TO USE THIS RWY NOW AND THAT IS, APPARENTLY, CAUSING DISRUPTIONS IN THE DFW OP. THE RPTR SAID THAT HE WAS IN THE CHIEF PLT'S OFFICE SEVERAL WKS AGO WHEN A TWR SUPVR SUPPOSEDLY CALLED TO QUESTION WHY A PLT WOULD NOT ACCEPT A DEP FROM RWY 31L. HE SAID THAT THE CHIEF PLT SUPPORTED THE PLT'S DECISION BECAUSE OF THE CONDITION OF THE RWY.

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.