Narrative:

First officer landing at ewr on runway 4R. After turning onto taxiway Z, tower instructed aircraft to hold in position, and initiated a callout of equipment to inspect landing gear area. Tower advised crew that some smoke was observed from the area during rollout. No damage or abnormal condition was found by airport authority/authorized, and aircraft taxied to company ramp. Cockpit brake temperature monitors, hydraulic and anti-skid system warning lights showed no abnormalities, though ramp maintenance inspection revealed 1 worn tire beyond limits, plus a significant hydraulic leak. Perhaps the most significant safety issue here was the tower's decision to send out the full complement of search and rescue vehicles to the aircraft without directly and promptly alerting the crew. Crew was left out of loop entirely. No mention was made by tower of the reason for the rather alarming approach of many vehicles to our aircraft. We thought initially that these vehicles were bound for some other aircraft or airport area. Also, rescue personnel approached our operating aircraft for close brake and tire inspection without direct communication with crew. Although I am thankful to ewr ATC for being alert and prompt in initiating safety services, a more timely communication with the air crew in regards to this type of event would certainly enhance safety. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that they were to hold position shortly after turning off of landing runway. As they held their position, they saw the crash fire rescue equipment vehicles coming towards them. The flight crew assumed they were going to a nearby aircraft. When the vehicles stopped at their aircraft, they inquired of the tower what the problem was. Tower reported that smoke was coming from the landing gear area and the aircraft was being checked for fire. There was no indication from the brake heat indicators in the cockpit, so the flight crew was confused as to why they were there. It turned out that there was an anti-skid failure, but only on 1 wheel. There was no indication of any failure in the cockpit. When the ground crew finished inspecting the wheels, they motioned the aircraft to taxi forward, but there was no communication from the ground that the landing gear was clear and would not crush someone in the way. Reporter feels ewr is just too busy for the tower to be able to communicate with all the aircraft everything they need to know.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747-200 LANDS AT EWR AND PRODUCES SOME SMOKE FROM ONE OF ITS MAIN LNDG GEAR WHEELS. THE TWR HAS THE ACFT TURN OFF OF THE RWY TO HOLD ITS POS. AS THE ACFT MAINTAINS ITS TAXI POS, THE FLC SEE THE CFR APCH THE ACFT WITHOUT BEING INFORMED WHY THEY WERE COMING TO THE ACFT.

Narrative: FO LNDG AT EWR ON RWY 4R. AFTER TURNING ONTO TXWY Z, TWR INSTRUCTED ACFT TO HOLD IN POS, AND INITIATED A CALLOUT OF EQUIP TO INSPECT LNDG GEAR AREA. TWR ADVISED CREW THAT SOME SMOKE WAS OBSERVED FROM THE AREA DURING ROLLOUT. NO DAMAGE OR ABNORMAL CONDITION WAS FOUND BY ARPT AUTH, AND ACFT TAXIED TO COMPANY RAMP. COCKPIT BRAKE TEMP MONITORS, HYD AND ANTI-SKID SYS WARNING LIGHTS SHOWED NO ABNORMALITIES, THOUGH RAMP MAINT INSPECTION REVEALED 1 WORN TIRE BEYOND LIMITS, PLUS A SIGNIFICANT HYD LEAK. PERHAPS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE HERE WAS THE TWR'S DECISION TO SEND OUT THE FULL COMPLEMENT OF SEARCH AND RESCUE VEHICLES TO THE ACFT WITHOUT DIRECTLY AND PROMPTLY ALERTING THE CREW. CREW WAS LEFT OUT OF LOOP ENTIRELY. NO MENTION WAS MADE BY TWR OF THE REASON FOR THE RATHER ALARMING APCH OF MANY VEHICLES TO OUR ACFT. WE THOUGHT INITIALLY THAT THESE VEHICLES WERE BOUND FOR SOME OTHER ACFT OR ARPT AREA. ALSO, RESCUE PERSONNEL APCHED OUR OPERATING ACFT FOR CLOSE BRAKE AND TIRE INSPECTION WITHOUT DIRECT COM WITH CREW. ALTHOUGH I AM THANKFUL TO EWR ATC FOR BEING ALERT AND PROMPT IN INITIATING SAFETY SVCS, A MORE TIMELY COM WITH THE AIR CREW IN REGARDS TO THIS TYPE OF EVENT WOULD CERTAINLY ENHANCE SAFETY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THEY WERE TO HOLD POS SHORTLY AFTER TURNING OFF OF LNDG RWY. AS THEY HELD THEIR POS, THEY SAW THE CFR VEHICLES COMING TOWARDS THEM. THE FLC ASSUMED THEY WERE GOING TO A NEARBY ACFT. WHEN THE VEHICLES STOPPED AT THEIR ACFT, THEY INQUIRED OF THE TWR WHAT THE PROB WAS. TWR RPTED THAT SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE LNDG GEAR AREA AND THE ACFT WAS BEING CHKED FOR FIRE. THERE WAS NO INDICATION FROM THE BRAKE HEAT INDICATORS IN THE COCKPIT, SO THE FLC WAS CONFUSED AS TO WHY THEY WERE THERE. IT TURNED OUT THAT THERE WAS AN ANTI-SKID FAILURE, BUT ONLY ON 1 WHEEL. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANY FAILURE IN THE COCKPIT. WHEN THE GND CREW FINISHED INSPECTING THE WHEELS, THEY MOTIONED THE ACFT TO TAXI FORWARD, BUT THERE WAS NO COM FROM THE GND THAT THE LNDG GEAR WAS CLR AND WOULD NOT CRUSH SOMEONE IN THE WAY. RPTR FEELS EWR IS JUST TOO BUSY FOR THE TWR TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH ALL THE ACFT EVERYTHING THEY NEED TO KNOW.

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.