Narrative:

After takeoff, I noticed that the gear did not retract. When I smelled burning rubber, I entered the cockpit quietly to advise them. I didn't use the phone because I knew the cockpit would be busy and I didn't want them to waste time answering the phone. (I have to get out of my harness to use phone anyway, so I didn't want to waste time on my end.) the captain was able to advise me that we had possibly blown a tire and would be doing a fly-by to check. I returned to the cabin to advise the flight attendants and asked them to get their emergency landing checklists available. The captain made a PA advising the passenger of the problem. I walked through the cabin to reassure and check on a young boy flying alone. I returned to my jump seat for the fly-by. After an ample amount of time after the fly-by, I quietly entered the cockpit waiting for further instructions. I was advised that the right nose gear tire was shredded, that a normal landing was planned and the captain assured me the plane could land on 1 tire. A PA was made by the captain advising the passenger. I returned to the little boy who was alone and sat him next to an adult female, as he was slightly scared. The 'prepare for landing' PA was made, cabin checked and I sat for an outstanding safe landing. I would like to express a major concern of mine, as well as many responsible crew members. I truly feel our airline had been compromising the safety of passenger and crew members by separating the cockpit and flight attendants on their trip sequences (co-pairing). In one 3-DAY trip, I will fly with 6 different capts. They don't know me, I don't know them. Fortunately, with this incident, I was flying with a captain I knew and knew me (both based in XXX) and we had confidence in each other's professionalism. I have flown with strange crew members who could care less who's on the other side of the cockpit door, until I personally emphasize the importance of 'crew coordination' and gain their respect. As a former emergency procedure instructor, I see everyone 'talking' about crew coordination but it's not happening. Separating cockpit crews and flight attendants saves money -- well what about safety! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that after returning to dallas, the airplane was taken OTS. The passenger were rerted and the crew deadheaded to san diego. She reiterated her concern for the non pairing of pilot crews and flight attendants. On a 3 day trip on the S80, they will have the crew split up and then rejoin with them 3 days later. The company is trying to maximize savings by splitting the crews up, but very often the pilots are stuck somewhere and the flight attendants another place, and there is no one to fly the plane. According to the reporter, the lack of communication and cohesiveness between pilots and flight attendants is dangerous.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, MD80, DFW-SAN. AFTER TKOF, BURNING RUBBER SMELL. R NOSE GEAR TIRE BLOWN, RETURN TO DFW. GOOD COCKPIT COM. FLT CANCELED.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF, I NOTICED THAT THE GEAR DID NOT RETRACT. WHEN I SMELLED BURNING RUBBER, I ENTERED THE COCKPIT QUIETLY TO ADVISE THEM. I DIDN'T USE THE PHONE BECAUSE I KNEW THE COCKPIT WOULD BE BUSY AND I DIDN'T WANT THEM TO WASTE TIME ANSWERING THE PHONE. (I HAVE TO GET OUT OF MY HARNESS TO USE PHONE ANYWAY, SO I DIDN'T WANT TO WASTE TIME ON MY END.) THE CAPT WAS ABLE TO ADVISE ME THAT WE HAD POSSIBLY BLOWN A TIRE AND WOULD BE DOING A FLY-BY TO CHK. I RETURNED TO THE CABIN TO ADVISE THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND ASKED THEM TO GET THEIR EMER LNDG CHKLISTS AVAILABLE. THE CAPT MADE A PA ADVISING THE PAX OF THE PROB. I WALKED THROUGH THE CABIN TO REASSURE AND CHK ON A YOUNG BOY FLYING ALONE. I RETURNED TO MY JUMP SEAT FOR THE FLY-BY. AFTER AN AMPLE AMOUNT OF TIME AFTER THE FLY-BY, I QUIETLY ENTERED THE COCKPIT WAITING FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. I WAS ADVISED THAT THE R NOSE GEAR TIRE WAS SHREDDED, THAT A NORMAL LNDG WAS PLANNED AND THE CAPT ASSURED ME THE PLANE COULD LAND ON 1 TIRE. A PA WAS MADE BY THE CAPT ADVISING THE PAX. I RETURNED TO THE LITTLE BOY WHO WAS ALONE AND SAT HIM NEXT TO AN ADULT FEMALE, AS HE WAS SLIGHTLY SCARED. THE 'PREPARE FOR LNDG' PA WAS MADE, CABIN CHKED AND I SAT FOR AN OUTSTANDING SAFE LNDG. I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS A MAJOR CONCERN OF MINE, AS WELL AS MANY RESPONSIBLE CREW MEMBERS. I TRULY FEEL OUR AIRLINE HAD BEEN COMPROMISING THE SAFETY OF PAX AND CREW MEMBERS BY SEPARATING THE COCKPIT AND FLT ATTENDANTS ON THEIR TRIP SEQUENCES (CO-PAIRING). IN ONE 3-DAY TRIP, I WILL FLY WITH 6 DIFFERENT CAPTS. THEY DON'T KNOW ME, I DON'T KNOW THEM. FORTUNATELY, WITH THIS INCIDENT, I WAS FLYING WITH A CAPT I KNEW AND KNEW ME (BOTH BASED IN XXX) AND WE HAD CONFIDENCE IN EACH OTHER'S PROFESSIONALISM. I HAVE FLOWN WITH STRANGE CREW MEMBERS WHO COULD CARE LESS WHO'S ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COCKPIT DOOR, UNTIL I PERSONALLY EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF 'CREW COORD' AND GAIN THEIR RESPECT. AS A FORMER EMER PROC INSTRUCTOR, I SEE EVERYONE 'TALKING' ABOUT CREW COORD BUT IT'S NOT HAPPENING. SEPARATING COCKPIT CREWS AND FLT ATTENDANTS SAVES MONEY -- WELL WHAT ABOUT SAFETY! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT AFTER RETURNING TO DALLAS, THE AIRPLANE WAS TAKEN OTS. THE PAX WERE RERTED AND THE CREW DEADHEADED TO SAN DIEGO. SHE REITERATED HER CONCERN FOR THE NON PAIRING OF PLT CREWS AND FLT ATTENDANTS. ON A 3 DAY TRIP ON THE S80, THEY WILL HAVE THE CREW SPLIT UP AND THEN REJOIN WITH THEM 3 DAYS LATER. THE COMPANY IS TRYING TO MAXIMIZE SAVINGS BY SPLITTING THE CREWS UP, BUT VERY OFTEN THE PLTS ARE STUCK SOMEWHERE AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS ANOTHER PLACE, AND THERE IS NO ONE TO FLY THE PLANE. ACCORDING TO THE RPTR, THE LACK OF COM AND COHESIVENESS BTWN PLTS AND FLT ATTENDANTS IS DANGEROUS.

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.