Narrative:

Commenced a normal takeoff roll at mci runway 19R. At rotate we heard an extra loud sound from the nose tire area. It sounded like we were hitting rather large centerline lights. Once airborne, noise immediately went away. I called mci tower and asked if they had other complaints about the 'rough runway.' they said I was the first. Discussed with first officer what else that noise could be. Though neither of us had ever experienced a tire failure before, we guessed that could be the problem. I then relayed through the company operations to have mci airport operations check out the runway for any rubber foreign object damage. About 10 mins later they passed on to me that they did in fact find rubber strips at the rotate area. We broke out the suspected tire failure procedures and decided to burn down the fuel by continuing on to dfw. I then declared an emergency and stated our intention to land at dfw and stop on the runway until crash fire rescue equipment and maintenance could check us out. I then coordinated with dispatch about our problem. I briefed the flight attendants and passenger. WX at dfw was VMC. I briefed the approach and landing considerations, and proceeded to make an uneventful landing on runway 17R. We stopped on the runway and both crash fire rescue equipment and company maintenance checked us out. They found the left nose tire tread had separated yet the tire itself maintained normal tire pressure. They gave me the ok to taxi to the gate where a normal tire change would take place.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CREW HEARD A LOUD SOUND COME FROM NOSE GEAR. SUSPECTED TIRE FAILURE. EMER DECLARED. FOUND TREAD THROWN FROM L NOSE TIRE.

Narrative: COMMENCED A NORMAL TKOF ROLL AT MCI RWY 19R. AT ROTATE WE HEARD AN EXTRA LOUD SOUND FROM THE NOSE TIRE AREA. IT SOUNDED LIKE WE WERE HITTING RATHER LARGE CTRLINE LIGHTS. ONCE AIRBORNE, NOISE IMMEDIATELY WENT AWAY. I CALLED MCI TWR AND ASKED IF THEY HAD OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE 'ROUGH RWY.' THEY SAID I WAS THE FIRST. DISCUSSED WITH FO WHAT ELSE THAT NOISE COULD BE. THOUGH NEITHER OF US HAD EVER EXPERIENCED A TIRE FAILURE BEFORE, WE GUESSED THAT COULD BE THE PROB. I THEN RELAYED THROUGH THE COMPANY OPS TO HAVE MCI ARPT OPS CHK OUT THE RWY FOR ANY RUBBER FOREIGN OBJECT DAMAGE. ABOUT 10 MINS LATER THEY PASSED ON TO ME THAT THEY DID IN FACT FIND RUBBER STRIPS AT THE ROTATE AREA. WE BROKE OUT THE SUSPECTED TIRE FAILURE PROCS AND DECIDED TO BURN DOWN THE FUEL BY CONTINUING ON TO DFW. I THEN DECLARED AN EMER AND STATED OUR INTENTION TO LAND AT DFW AND STOP ON THE RWY UNTIL CFR AND MAINT COULD CHK US OUT. I THEN COORDINATED WITH DISPATCH ABOUT OUR PROB. I BRIEFED THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX. WX AT DFW WAS VMC. I BRIEFED THE APCH AND LNDG CONSIDERATIONS, AND PROCEEDED TO MAKE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG ON RWY 17R. WE STOPPED ON THE RWY AND BOTH CFR AND COMPANY MAINT CHKED US OUT. THEY FOUND THE L NOSE TIRE TREAD HAD SEPARATED YET THE TIRE ITSELF MAINTAINED NORMAL TIRE PRESSURE. THEY GAVE ME THE OK TO TAXI TO THE GATE WHERE A NORMAL TIRE CHANGE WOULD TAKE PLACE.

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.