Narrative:

In dsm on postflt we noticed the inboard tire on the right main had an area of cord showing approximately 1 1/2 inches long in between the tire tread. On preflight out of cvg, we never noticed the cord, probably due to the area cover up by the asphalt. Anyhow, we noticed at that time also that the rubber was separating all around the tire in between the tread. Either from dry rot or just a bad tire. There was still a lot of tread on the tire. So the tire could not have been too old. I've noticed that before without cord showing, maintenance would say that it's fine to fly, as long as cord is not showing. But I never realized how thin the rubber is until cord would be showing. This raises a safety concern with me due to the fact that this rubber is so thin. If it is separating, who's to say that maybe the next landing we could have a blowout. In dsm however, we had cord showing, so we wrote it up and called maintenance. They canceled the outbound flight and said they wanted us to ferry it back. As a crew we decided not to do that. We wanted them to change the tire before we would fly it. They kept on saying it would be fine for us to fly it. What concerns me here is if it's not safe to fly passenger, then it's not safe for us to ferry it back. Next thing the chief pilot called us and said he would back us on any decision we made to fly it back or not. He also said if we were to have a blowout on landing and it caused structural damage to the aircraft, that we would not be held responsible because it was a ferry flight. I don't think the FAA would look at it that way. We would be responsible. I also found out from the chief pilot, that the tires are retreads. So if that's the case and I'm seeing rubber separating on other aircraft tires this could be a serious problem. Why should we use retreads on a jet aircraft? Also he said what they would do is either have another crew ferry it back or have maintenance fly out with another tire to change it. So they would just put another crew member on the flight to ferry it even though they could have a blowout. This is a real safety concern in my mind.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRUDENT CL65 PLT REFUSES ACFT THAT HE CONSIDERED UNSAFE DUE TO TIRE CONDITION FOUND ON POSTFLT INSPECTION.

Narrative: IN DSM ON POSTFLT WE NOTICED THE INBOARD TIRE ON THE R MAIN HAD AN AREA OF CORD SHOWING APPROX 1 1/2 INCHES LONG IN BTWN THE TIRE TREAD. ON PREFLT OUT OF CVG, WE NEVER NOTICED THE CORD, PROBABLY DUE TO THE AREA COVER UP BY THE ASPHALT. ANYHOW, WE NOTICED AT THAT TIME ALSO THAT THE RUBBER WAS SEPARATING ALL AROUND THE TIRE IN BTWN THE TREAD. EITHER FROM DRY ROT OR JUST A BAD TIRE. THERE WAS STILL A LOT OF TREAD ON THE TIRE. SO THE TIRE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN TOO OLD. I'VE NOTICED THAT BEFORE WITHOUT CORD SHOWING, MAINT WOULD SAY THAT IT'S FINE TO FLY, AS LONG AS CORD IS NOT SHOWING. BUT I NEVER REALIZED HOW THIN THE RUBBER IS UNTIL CORD WOULD BE SHOWING. THIS RAISES A SAFETY CONCERN WITH ME DUE TO THE FACT THAT THIS RUBBER IS SO THIN. IF IT IS SEPARATING, WHO'S TO SAY THAT MAYBE THE NEXT LNDG WE COULD HAVE A BLOWOUT. IN DSM HOWEVER, WE HAD CORD SHOWING, SO WE WROTE IT UP AND CALLED MAINT. THEY CANCELED THE OUTBOUND FLT AND SAID THEY WANTED US TO FERRY IT BACK. AS A CREW WE DECIDED NOT TO DO THAT. WE WANTED THEM TO CHANGE THE TIRE BEFORE WE WOULD FLY IT. THEY KEPT ON SAYING IT WOULD BE FINE FOR US TO FLY IT. WHAT CONCERNS ME HERE IS IF IT'S NOT SAFE TO FLY PAX, THEN IT'S NOT SAFE FOR US TO FERRY IT BACK. NEXT THING THE CHIEF PLT CALLED US AND SAID HE WOULD BACK US ON ANY DECISION WE MADE TO FLY IT BACK OR NOT. HE ALSO SAID IF WE WERE TO HAVE A BLOWOUT ON LNDG AND IT CAUSED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE ACFT, THAT WE WOULD NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE BECAUSE IT WAS A FERRY FLT. I DON'T THINK THE FAA WOULD LOOK AT IT THAT WAY. WE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE. I ALSO FOUND OUT FROM THE CHIEF PLT, THAT THE TIRES ARE RETREADS. SO IF THAT'S THE CASE AND I'M SEEING RUBBER SEPARATING ON OTHER ACFT TIRES THIS COULD BE A SERIOUS PROB. WHY SHOULD WE USE RETREADS ON A JET ACFT? ALSO HE SAID WHAT THEY WOULD DO IS EITHER HAVE ANOTHER CREW FERRY IT BACK OR HAVE MAINT FLY OUT WITH ANOTHER TIRE TO CHANGE IT. SO THEY WOULD JUST PUT ANOTHER CREW MEMBER ON THE FLT TO FERRY IT EVEN THOUGH THEY COULD HAVE A BLOWOUT. THIS IS A REAL SAFETY CONCERN IN MY MIND.

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.