Narrative:

Started what seemed to be a normal takeoff out of las vegas when approximately 10 KTS prior to V1, noticed a slight vibration. After rotation, selected gear up noticing more vibration, but still to be considered light, taking a mental note that most of our B-300's are very noisy with vibration during gear retraction. At about 3500 ft MSL, we got a master caution light/hydraulic with an associated 'engine #1 a low pressure light.' notified the tower that we were returning to the field for landing with a maintenance problem. Ran the checklist for engine a low pressure light, and began to receive vectors for runway 19L. At this time, notified the passenger and flight attendants. Turning base for runway 19L, we selected gear down with no result. Ran the checklist, accomplishing a manual gear extension. Being close into the field, we got a vector over the field to get a visual inspection from the tower of the gear and to receive vectors back for landing. Overflying the airport, the tower verified we had 3 gear down. Tower notified us that there was rubber on our departure runway. Another aircraft looking above stated that there was fluid streaming from our aircraft. We declared an emergency, also requesting the emergency equipment on landing. Received a short vector for an uneventful landing on runway 25L. Came to a stop on the runway after the ground roll. Fire crew inspected the aircraft with no fire or smoke. Las reacted promptly with airstairs and transportation for all the passenger and crew to the terminal. During postflt before leaving the aircraft, noticed tire #3 was totally ripped apart, also taking out a hydraulic line in the process. Most everyone will have a day comparable to this sometime in his or her career. If and when you do, I hope you have a crew as well polished as I did. First officer is as professional as they come. They're for me every step of the way, if not reading my mind. Flight attendants swift, sharp and pleasant, these people were really on top of their job. 135 passenger departing the aircraft with smiles is only a testament to the flight attendant's abilities. Supplemental information from acn 620175: on takeoff roll prior to vr call, I felt a nosewheel shimmy. Master caution hydraulic and engine #1 hydraulic low pressure caution came on. As it was a hydraulic problem and I now suspected cracked or severed hydraulic lines, I opted not to engage the autoplt. I was also thinking it was a nosewheel problem. The captain completed QRH and we xferred control for landing runway 19L. On selecting landing gear down, we noted landing gear unsafe. Captain called for manual extension. I had to exit my seat to open the manual extension door. I was unable to open the door with my finger or plastic pen. The captain had a steel pen which I used to pry open the finger loop. Tower noted missing nose gear tire and fluid trailing the aircraft. I interpreted missing to be shredded as they also said there was rubber on the runway. From what we felt (shimmy) and what we heard from tower, we still thought the nosewheel was the problem. Upon landing, we learned that smoke was coming from the right main gear. Emergency equipment had surrounded us on the runway and were in contact with us on tower frequency. I made a PA and stated we had a mechanical problem and were returning to land. It would be a normal landing in about 3 mins.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RETURN AND LAND MANDATED FOR A B737-300 FLT CREW WHEN A MAIN GEAR TIRE FAILS ON TKOF ROLL, DAMAGING A MAIN HYD SYS, AT LAS, NV.

Narrative: STARTED WHAT SEEMED TO BE A NORMAL TKOF OUT OF LAS VEGAS WHEN APPROX 10 KTS PRIOR TO V1, NOTICED A SLIGHT VIBRATION. AFTER ROTATION, SELECTED GEAR UP NOTICING MORE VIBRATION, BUT STILL TO BE CONSIDERED LIGHT, TAKING A MENTAL NOTE THAT MOST OF OUR B-300'S ARE VERY NOISY WITH VIBRATION DURING GEAR RETRACTION. AT ABOUT 3500 FT MSL, WE GOT A MASTER CAUTION LIGHT/HYD WITH AN ASSOCIATED 'ENG #1 A LOW PRESSURE LIGHT.' NOTIFIED THE TWR THAT WE WERE RETURNING TO THE FIELD FOR LNDG WITH A MAINT PROB. RAN THE CHKLIST FOR ENG A LOW PRESSURE LIGHT, AND BEGAN TO RECEIVE VECTORS FOR RWY 19L. AT THIS TIME, NOTIFIED THE PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS. TURNING BASE FOR RWY 19L, WE SELECTED GEAR DOWN WITH NO RESULT. RAN THE CHKLIST, ACCOMPLISHING A MANUAL GEAR EXTENSION. BEING CLOSE INTO THE FIELD, WE GOT A VECTOR OVER THE FIELD TO GET A VISUAL INSPECTION FROM THE TWR OF THE GEAR AND TO RECEIVE VECTORS BACK FOR LNDG. OVERFLYING THE ARPT, THE TWR VERIFIED WE HAD 3 GEAR DOWN. TWR NOTIFIED US THAT THERE WAS RUBBER ON OUR DEP RWY. ANOTHER ACFT LOOKING ABOVE STATED THAT THERE WAS FLUID STREAMING FROM OUR ACFT. WE DECLARED AN EMER, ALSO REQUESTING THE EMER EQUIP ON LNDG. RECEIVED A SHORT VECTOR FOR AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG ON RWY 25L. CAME TO A STOP ON THE RWY AFTER THE GND ROLL. FIRE CREW INSPECTED THE ACFT WITH NO FIRE OR SMOKE. LAS REACTED PROMPTLY WITH AIRSTAIRS AND TRANSPORTATION FOR ALL THE PAX AND CREW TO THE TERMINAL. DURING POSTFLT BEFORE LEAVING THE ACFT, NOTICED TIRE #3 WAS TOTALLY RIPPED APART, ALSO TAKING OUT A HYD LINE IN THE PROCESS. MOST EVERYONE WILL HAVE A DAY COMPARABLE TO THIS SOMETIME IN HIS OR HER CAREER. IF AND WHEN YOU DO, I HOPE YOU HAVE A CREW AS WELL POLISHED AS I DID. FO IS AS PROFESSIONAL AS THEY COME. THEY'RE FOR ME EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, IF NOT READING MY MIND. FLT ATTENDANTS SWIFT, SHARP AND PLEASANT, THESE PEOPLE WERE REALLY ON TOP OF THEIR JOB. 135 PAX DEPARTING THE ACFT WITH SMILES IS ONLY A TESTAMENT TO THE FLT ATTENDANT'S ABILITIES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 620175: ON TKOF ROLL PRIOR TO VR CALL, I FELT A NOSEWHEEL SHIMMY. MASTER CAUTION HYD AND ENG #1 HYD LOW PRESSURE CAUTION CAME ON. AS IT WAS A HYD PROB AND I NOW SUSPECTED CRACKED OR SEVERED HYD LINES, I OPTED NOT TO ENGAGE THE AUTOPLT. I WAS ALSO THINKING IT WAS A NOSEWHEEL PROB. THE CAPT COMPLETED QRH AND WE XFERRED CTL FOR LNDG RWY 19L. ON SELECTING LNDG GEAR DOWN, WE NOTED LNDG GEAR UNSAFE. CAPT CALLED FOR MANUAL EXTENSION. I HAD TO EXIT MY SEAT TO OPEN THE MANUAL EXTENSION DOOR. I WAS UNABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR WITH MY FINGER OR PLASTIC PEN. THE CAPT HAD A STEEL PEN WHICH I USED TO PRY OPEN THE FINGER LOOP. TWR NOTED MISSING NOSE GEAR TIRE AND FLUID TRAILING THE ACFT. I INTERPED MISSING TO BE SHREDDED AS THEY ALSO SAID THERE WAS RUBBER ON THE RWY. FROM WHAT WE FELT (SHIMMY) AND WHAT WE HEARD FROM TWR, WE STILL THOUGHT THE NOSEWHEEL WAS THE PROB. UPON LNDG, WE LEARNED THAT SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE R MAIN GEAR. EMER EQUIP HAD SURROUNDED US ON THE RWY AND WERE IN CONTACT WITH US ON TWR FREQ. I MADE A PA AND STATED WE HAD A MECHANICAL PROB AND WERE RETURNING TO LAND. IT WOULD BE A NORMAL LNDG IN ABOUT 3 MINS.

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.