Narrative:

I was the PNF captain of the flight that had lost the left outboard main gear tire. I had no cockpit indications that the wheel had departed the aircraft. I was informed of the tire coming off and rolling down the runway and through a fence by tower and departure control. Since the WX was excellent, I elected to continue to my scheduled destination, and hold to burn down fuel to permit a slower landing speed on very long runways. Declared an emergency with approach and requested arff coverage. Landing was uneventful and I had the gear pinned and towed to the gate. With the left outboard tire missing, the aircraft tilted slightly to the left. It felt exactly like a compressed strut. Company maintenance is investigating, and apparently found sheared bolts on the departure runway. First officer reported nothing unusual on preflight inspection. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the direct cause of the wheel failure was overtorquing of the wheel nuts and bolts. The reporter said this airplane had problems with the right wheel assembly so all the wheel bolts were torqued again. The reporter said this wheel was overtorqued. The reporter said the loose wheel went through a fence at ZZZ and struck an automobile and injured the driver. Callback conversation with reporter acn 452180 revealed the following information: the reporter stated she was the PF and also made the walkaround inspection. The reporter said nothing abnormal was observed on the walkaround. The reporter said the left outboard wheel and tire were the components that departed the aircraft and the cause is unknown.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9-50 ON TKOF ROLL HAD #1 MAIN TIRE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLY DEPART THE ACFT CAUSED BY THE OVERTORQUING OF THE WHEEL BOLTS.

Narrative: I WAS THE PNF CAPT OF THE FLT THAT HAD LOST THE L OUTBOARD MAIN GEAR TIRE. I HAD NO COCKPIT INDICATIONS THAT THE WHEEL HAD DEPARTED THE ACFT. I WAS INFORMED OF THE TIRE COMING OFF AND ROLLING DOWN THE RWY AND THROUGH A FENCE BY TWR AND DEP CTL. SINCE THE WX WAS EXCELLENT, I ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO MY SCHEDULED DEST, AND HOLD TO BURN DOWN FUEL TO PERMIT A SLOWER LNDG SPD ON VERY LONG RWYS. DECLARED AN EMER WITH APCH AND REQUESTED ARFF COVERAGE. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL AND I HAD THE GEAR PINNED AND TOWED TO THE GATE. WITH THE L OUTBOARD TIRE MISSING, THE ACFT TILTED SLIGHTLY TO THE L. IT FELT EXACTLY LIKE A COMPRESSED STRUT. COMPANY MAINT IS INVESTIGATING, AND APPARENTLY FOUND SHEARED BOLTS ON THE DEP RWY. FO RPTED NOTHING UNUSUAL ON PREFLT INSPECTION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE DIRECT CAUSE OF THE WHEEL FAILURE WAS OVERTORQUING OF THE WHEEL NUTS AND BOLTS. THE RPTR SAID THIS AIRPLANE HAD PROBS WITH THE R WHEEL ASSEMBLY SO ALL THE WHEEL BOLTS WERE TORQUED AGAIN. THE RPTR SAID THIS WHEEL WAS OVERTORQUED. THE RPTR SAID THE LOOSE WHEEL WENT THROUGH A FENCE AT ZZZ AND STRUCK AN AUTOMOBILE AND INJURED THE DRIVER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 452180 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED SHE WAS THE PF AND ALSO MADE THE WALKAROUND INSPECTION. THE RPTR SAID NOTHING ABNORMAL WAS OBSERVED ON THE WALKAROUND. THE RPTR SAID THE L OUTBOARD WHEEL AND TIRE WERE THE COMPONENTS THAT DEPARTED THE ACFT AND THE CAUSE IS UNKNOWN.

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.