Narrative:

During a maximum weight takeoff for runway 8 at sju, I felt a bump as I rotated. When I asked 'what was that?' my first officer said we went over the arrestor cable. Not being a military pilot, I didn't know what to make of that. Gear retraction and flap retraction were normal. We then smelled a slight odor of burnt rubber. While I have smelled that often during high speed takeoffs when the nose gear retracts and hits the pads, it did cause me some concern. About that time, departure control called an air carrier B747, who had taken off directly behind us, and informed him that he might have left rubber on the runway as it was found after his takeoff. He asked if the tire could be idented and was told it could not. I was concerned that the rubber might have come from my tire. Since I could find no indication of any abnormality with my aircraft, I decided the safest thing to do was to fly to stl where I would be much lighter and knew good facilities would be available if necessary. Also the temperature would be cooler (33 degrees as opposed to 80 degrees). A normal landing was made with the emergency equipment standing by. I felt nothing abnormal during rollout so I released the equipment and taxied to the gate. Inspection showed the left outboard tire (main) had shed some rubber but was still inflated. There was damage to the gear strut fairing and damage to the flap. A black stain was apparent on the outside of the left engine cowling.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MD83 FLC RAN OVER AN ARRESTING CABLE DURING A MAX GROSS WT TKOF AND THE L OUTBOARD MAIN GEAR TIRE SHED SOME RUBBER WHICH STRUCK THE GEAR STRUT FAIRING, THE FLAP AND THE L ENG COWLING.

Narrative: DURING A MAX WT TKOF FOR RWY 8 AT SJU, I FELT A BUMP AS I ROTATED. WHEN I ASKED 'WHAT WAS THAT?' MY FO SAID WE WENT OVER THE ARRESTOR CABLE. NOT BEING A MIL PLT, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO MAKE OF THAT. GEAR RETRACTION AND FLAP RETRACTION WERE NORMAL. WE THEN SMELLED A SLIGHT ODOR OF BURNT RUBBER. WHILE I HAVE SMELLED THAT OFTEN DURING HIGH SPD TKOFS WHEN THE NOSE GEAR RETRACTS AND HITS THE PADS, IT DID CAUSE ME SOME CONCERN. ABOUT THAT TIME, DEP CTL CALLED AN ACR B747, WHO HAD TAKEN OFF DIRECTLY BEHIND US, AND INFORMED HIM THAT HE MIGHT HAVE LEFT RUBBER ON THE RWY AS IT WAS FOUND AFTER HIS TKOF. HE ASKED IF THE TIRE COULD BE IDENTED AND WAS TOLD IT COULD NOT. I WAS CONCERNED THAT THE RUBBER MIGHT HAVE COME FROM MY TIRE. SINCE I COULD FIND NO INDICATION OF ANY ABNORMALITY WITH MY ACFT, I DECIDED THE SAFEST THING TO DO WAS TO FLY TO STL WHERE I WOULD BE MUCH LIGHTER AND KNEW GOOD FACILITIES WOULD BE AVAILABLE IF NECESSARY. ALSO THE TEMP WOULD BE COOLER (33 DEGS AS OPPOSED TO 80 DEGS). A NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE WITH THE EMER EQUIP STANDING BY. I FELT NOTHING ABNORMAL DURING ROLLOUT SO I RELEASED THE EQUIP AND TAXIED TO THE GATE. INSPECTION SHOWED THE L OUTBOARD TIRE (MAIN) HAD SHED SOME RUBBER BUT WAS STILL INFLATED. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE GEAR STRUT FAIRING AND DAMAGE TO THE FLAP. A BLACK STAIN WAS APPARENT ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE L ENG COWLING.

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.