Narrative:

The XX00 local WX was 2500 ft broken and better than 10 mi visibility as first officer and myself taxied out with 4 passenger and full fuel to runway 1R for a flight to msp. Normal preflight and checklist items including cockpit checks were conducted prior to engine start, taxi and takeoff. As we taxied into position to hold on runway 1R first officer and I reviewed the takeoff items and briefed again. We were cleared for takeoff and first officer advanced the power levers as I called 'takeoff thrust power set.' with two stable engines, airspeed alive and steering off, the annunciator panel was clear as we accelerated through '100 KT xchk.' (we were at 20200 pounds actual takeoff weight with flaps 8 degrees and bug speeds conservatively set at 21000 pound criteria. Due to additional runway length available on runway 1R, I set V1 at vr.) as I called V1/vr simultaneously there was a substantial shudder and noise that seemed to increase in intensity until lift-off was obtained. I called positive rate and first officer called for gear up. As I positioned the gear lever up and called V2 +30, a strong odor of burnt rubber was present in the cockpit along with a harmonic sound and vibration. As I retracted the flaps and cleaned the aircraft up in the climb, it was apparent that we had blown a tire at rotation and that perhaps this vibration and harmonic sound was a damaged gear door seal. We were initially cleared to FL230 immediately upon takeoff. I requested a leveloff prior to FL230 to swing the landing gear to insure that there was no impaired performance of the essential landing gear apparatus and maybe to eliminate the strange sound as well. The landing gear extended and retracted normally with all of the gear door and gear lights indicating properly and no abnormal fluctuation or indication in hydraulic pressure, but the sound and vibration was still present. First officer and I discussed proceeding to our destination and felt that perhaps landing at a minimum weight would be the safer way than to risk an overweight landing with a blown main tire. I was the pilot now flying at this point as we continued our climb to FL230. Setting climb thrust and aircraft pitch for a normal climb speed, I found the aircraft to be very 'anemic' in performance. Lowering the pitch to zero vsi to accrue airspeed beyond 210 KTS was futile. Scanning and checking power settings, engine and flight parameters revealed nothing abnormal. There was something aerodynamically 'amiss' with our aircraft. It was time to return. Since we were closer to sacramento we thought that a fly-by for visible damage verification before landing was prudent. But, as dusk was quickly heading into night, we were left without that option. We continued on to sfo and declared an emergency for structural considerations and landed uneventfully.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN LR55 BLOWS A TIRE ON TKOF. THE GEAR IS RAISED AND THE APPARENT SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE REQUIRES A RETURN LAND AT SFO.

Narrative: THE XX00 LCL WX WAS 2500 FT BROKEN AND BETTER THAN 10 MI VISIBILITY AS FO AND MYSELF TAXIED OUT WITH 4 PAX AND FULL FUEL TO RWY 1R FOR A FLT TO MSP. NORMAL PREFLT AND CHKLIST ITEMS INCLUDING COCKPIT CHKS WERE CONDUCTED PRIOR TO ENG START, TAXI AND TKOF. AS WE TAXIED INTO POS TO HOLD ON RWY 1R FO AND I REVIEWED THE TKOF ITEMS AND BRIEFED AGAIN. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF AND FO ADVANCED THE PWR LEVERS AS I CALLED 'TKOF THRUST PWR SET.' WITH TWO STABLE ENGS, AIRSPD ALIVE AND STEERING OFF, THE ANNUNCIATOR PANEL WAS CLR AS WE ACCELERATED THROUGH '100 KT XCHK.' (WE WERE AT 20200 LBS ACTUAL TKOF WT WITH FLAPS 8 DEGS AND BUG SPDS CONSERVATIVELY SET AT 21000 LB CRITERIA. DUE TO ADDITIONAL RWY LENGTH AVAILABLE ON RWY 1R, I SET V1 AT VR.) AS I CALLED V1/VR SIMULTANEOUSLY THERE WAS A SUBSTANTIAL SHUDDER AND NOISE THAT SEEMED TO INCREASE IN INTENSITY UNTIL LIFT-OFF WAS OBTAINED. I CALLED POSITIVE RATE AND FO CALLED FOR GEAR UP. AS I POSITIONED THE GEAR LEVER UP AND CALLED V2 +30, A STRONG ODOR OF BURNT RUBBER WAS PRESENT IN THE COCKPIT ALONG WITH A HARMONIC SOUND AND VIBRATION. AS I RETRACTED THE FLAPS AND CLEANED THE ACFT UP IN THE CLB, IT WAS APPARENT THAT WE HAD BLOWN A TIRE AT ROTATION AND THAT PERHAPS THIS VIBRATION AND HARMONIC SOUND WAS A DAMAGED GEAR DOOR SEAL. WE WERE INITIALLY CLRED TO FL230 IMMEDIATELY UPON TKOF. I REQUESTED A LEVELOFF PRIOR TO FL230 TO SWING THE LNDG GEAR TO INSURE THAT THERE WAS NO IMPAIRED PERFORMANCE OF THE ESSENTIAL LNDG GEAR APPARATUS AND MAYBE TO ELIMINATE THE STRANGE SOUND AS WELL. THE LNDG GEAR EXTENDED AND RETRACTED NORMALLY WITH ALL OF THE GEAR DOOR AND GEAR LIGHTS INDICATING PROPERLY AND NO ABNORMAL FLUCTUATION OR INDICATION IN HYD PRESSURE, BUT THE SOUND AND VIBRATION WAS STILL PRESENT. FO AND I DISCUSSED PROCEEDING TO OUR DEST AND FELT THAT PERHAPS LNDG AT A MINIMUM WT WOULD BE THE SAFER WAY THAN TO RISK AN OVERWT LNDG WITH A BLOWN MAIN TIRE. I WAS THE PLT NOW FLYING AT THIS POINT AS WE CONTINUED OUR CLB TO FL230. SETTING CLB THRUST AND ACFT PITCH FOR A NORMAL CLB SPD, I FOUND THE ACFT TO BE VERY 'ANEMIC' IN PERFORMANCE. LOWERING THE PITCH TO ZERO VSI TO ACCRUE AIRSPD BEYOND 210 KTS WAS FUTILE. SCANNING AND CHKING PWR SETTINGS, ENG AND FLT PARAMETERS REVEALED NOTHING ABNORMAL. THERE WAS SOMETHING AERODYNAMICALLY 'AMISS' WITH OUR ACFT. IT WAS TIME TO RETURN. SINCE WE WERE CLOSER TO SACRAMENTO WE THOUGHT THAT A FLY-BY FOR VISIBLE DAMAGE VERIFICATION BEFORE LNDG WAS PRUDENT. BUT, AS DUSK WAS QUICKLY HEADING INTO NIGHT, WE WERE LEFT WITHOUT THAT OPTION. WE CONTINUED ON TO SFO AND DECLARED AN EMER FOR STRUCTURAL CONSIDERATIONS AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY.

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.