Narrative:

Departed the gate at cvg, bound for dfw. Departing runway 18R, V1 was computed at 137 KIAS. At approximately 125 KIAS we heard a mild bang. The sound was similar to the landing gear running over a runway light cover or uneven pavement. The captain experienced no difficulty in control and made a normal takeoff. After the gear was retracted and flaps/slats cleaned up, another aircraft waiting for takeoff notified the tower that he saw one of our left main gear tires shredding on takeoff. We were notified of this and requested holding at a fix while we ran any checklists and notified flight control. Because we were well over maximum landing weight, the captain and flight control decided it was prudent to continue to dfw. This would burn off a good amount of fuel and provide us with a longer runway for landing. The captain briefed the flight attendants and myself on all possible contingencies and the appropriate PA's made to the passenger. We declared an emergency with dfw approach control and the captain requested runway 17R, the longest runway at dfw. A normal landing was made and we cleared the runway and stopped on a taxiway. Emergency vehicles surrounded the aircraft and nothing other than a shredded tire and hot rubber was a consideration to them. The landing gear was pinned and we were towed to the gate. No injuries resulted.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88 OUTER L MAIN TIRE BLEW DURING TKOF AND FLC CONTINUED TO DEST FOR FUEL BURN TO LNDG WT AND A LONGER RWY. UPON LNDG EMER EQUIP RESPONDED AND COMPANY MAINT INSPECTED ACFT FOR DAMAGE. THE GEAR WAS PINNED AND THE ACFT TOWED TO PARKING FOR PAX NORMAL DEPLANING.

Narrative: DEPARTED THE GATE AT CVG, BOUND FOR DFW. DEPARTING RWY 18R, V1 WAS COMPUTED AT 137 KIAS. AT APPROX 125 KIAS WE HEARD A MILD BANG. THE SOUND WAS SIMILAR TO THE LNDG GEAR RUNNING OVER A RWY LIGHT COVER OR UNEVEN PAVEMENT. THE CAPT EXPERIENCED NO DIFFICULTY IN CTL AND MADE A NORMAL TKOF. AFTER THE GEAR WAS RETRACTED AND FLAPS/SLATS CLEANED UP, ANOTHER ACFT WAITING FOR TKOF NOTIFIED THE TWR THAT HE SAW ONE OF OUR L MAIN GEAR TIRES SHREDDING ON TKOF. WE WERE NOTIFIED OF THIS AND REQUESTED HOLDING AT A FIX WHILE WE RAN ANY CHKLISTS AND NOTIFIED FLT CTL. BECAUSE WE WERE WELL OVER MAX LNDG WT, THE CAPT AND FLT CTL DECIDED IT WAS PRUDENT TO CONTINUE TO DFW. THIS WOULD BURN OFF A GOOD AMOUNT OF FUEL AND PROVIDE US WITH A LONGER RWY FOR LNDG. THE CAPT BRIEFED THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND MYSELF ON ALL POSSIBLE CONTINGENCIES AND THE APPROPRIATE PA'S MADE TO THE PAX. WE DECLARED AN EMER WITH DFW APCH CTL AND THE CAPT REQUESTED RWY 17R, THE LONGEST RWY AT DFW. A NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE AND WE CLRED THE RWY AND STOPPED ON A TXWY. EMER VEHICLES SURROUNDED THE ACFT AND NOTHING OTHER THAN A SHREDDED TIRE AND HOT RUBBER WAS A CONSIDERATION TO THEM. THE LNDG GEAR WAS PINNED AND WE WERE TOWED TO THE GATE. NO INJURIES RESULTED.

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.