Narrative:

This report is regarding an incident on flight on aug/tue/06. First officer's takeoff on runway 18R with cavu conditions. Somewhere in the vicinity of 120 KTS during the takeoff roll we experienced a rather sharp yawing motion. The motion was very reminiscent of the feel that our simulators give during engine failure practice. The engines were producing normal thrust. I told the first officer to continue the takeoff. Shortly after liftoff; we had a burning rubber smell that lasted for just a few seconds. I suspected a tire failure. I had the first officer continue flying and talking to ATC. I called the flight attendants to see what they heard or felt. I was particularly interested to know if they heard a bang -- perhaps verifying a tire failure. They heard no unusual noises but definitely noticed the unusual yawing motion. I referred to the QRH and found that the 'suspected tire failure' procedure calls for a return to landing. I informed ATC that we were returning to land; declared an emergency (I wanted crash fire rescue equipment standing by; I wasn't sure of the condition of our wheels); gave company a call; informed the flight attendants and made a PA. I explained to the passenger the nature of the problem; that we would return for a landing; and that I expected a normal landing except for the fact that we would stop on the runway and have the airfield safety officials make a quick inspection of the aircraft before we taxied to the gate. I had plenty of time between takeoff and landing to accomplish the above because we had to consume 20 mins of fuel to be down to our maximum landing weight. Landing was uneventful. We came to a stop on runway 18R and the crash fire rescue equipment crews inspected the aircraft and reported no apparent damage to the wheels and tires. We taxied to the gate and had maintenance do a thorough inspection of the aircraft. They jacked up both main gear; pulled the hubs; checked the tire rotation; brakes; shimmy dampeners and found nothing wrong with the aircraft. The only thing of possible noteworthiness was that both wheels and brakes were new on the right main gear assembly. Needless to say; it was a little embarrassing to think that I brought a perfectly good aircraft back thinking that we had a problem. Both the first officer and myself are experienced MD80 drivers. We have approximately 18 yrs experience between us flying the MD80 alone. I cannot explain the yawing on takeoff that we experienced.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CAPT RPTS DECLARING AN EMER AND RETURNING TO LAND AFTER A YAW AND BURNING RUBBER SMELL OCCURRED ON TKOF. MAINT FOUND NO DEFECTS.

Narrative: THIS RPT IS REGARDING AN INCIDENT ON FLT ON AUG/TUE/06. FO'S TKOF ON RWY 18R WITH CAVU CONDITIONS. SOMEWHERE IN THE VICINITY OF 120 KTS DURING THE TKOF ROLL WE EXPERIENCED A RATHER SHARP YAWING MOTION. THE MOTION WAS VERY REMINISCENT OF THE FEEL THAT OUR SIMULATORS GIVE DURING ENG FAILURE PRACTICE. THE ENGS WERE PRODUCING NORMAL THRUST. I TOLD THE FO TO CONTINUE THE TKOF. SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF; WE HAD A BURNING RUBBER SMELL THAT LASTED FOR JUST A FEW SECONDS. I SUSPECTED A TIRE FAILURE. I HAD THE FO CONTINUE FLYING AND TALKING TO ATC. I CALLED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO SEE WHAT THEY HEARD OR FELT. I WAS PARTICULARLY INTERESTED TO KNOW IF THEY HEARD A BANG -- PERHAPS VERIFYING A TIRE FAILURE. THEY HEARD NO UNUSUAL NOISES BUT DEFINITELY NOTICED THE UNUSUAL YAWING MOTION. I REFERRED TO THE QRH AND FOUND THAT THE 'SUSPECTED TIRE FAILURE' PROC CALLS FOR A RETURN TO LNDG. I INFORMED ATC THAT WE WERE RETURNING TO LAND; DECLARED AN EMER (I WANTED CFR STANDING BY; I WASN'T SURE OF THE CONDITION OF OUR WHEELS); GAVE COMPANY A CALL; INFORMED THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND MADE A PA. I EXPLAINED TO THE PAX THE NATURE OF THE PROB; THAT WE WOULD RETURN FOR A LNDG; AND THAT I EXPECTED A NORMAL LNDG EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT WE WOULD STOP ON THE RWY AND HAVE THE AIRFIELD SAFETY OFFICIALS MAKE A QUICK INSPECTION OF THE ACFT BEFORE WE TAXIED TO THE GATE. I HAD PLENTY OF TIME BTWN TKOF AND LNDG TO ACCOMPLISH THE ABOVE BECAUSE WE HAD TO CONSUME 20 MINS OF FUEL TO BE DOWN TO OUR MAX LNDG WT. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. WE CAME TO A STOP ON RWY 18R AND THE CFR CREWS INSPECTED THE ACFT AND RPTED NO APPARENT DAMAGE TO THE WHEELS AND TIRES. WE TAXIED TO THE GATE AND HAD MAINT DO A THOROUGH INSPECTION OF THE ACFT. THEY JACKED UP BOTH MAIN GEAR; PULLED THE HUBS; CHKED THE TIRE ROTATION; BRAKES; SHIMMY DAMPENERS AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE ACFT. THE ONLY THING OF POSSIBLE NOTEWORTHINESS WAS THAT BOTH WHEELS AND BRAKES WERE NEW ON THE R MAIN GEAR ASSEMBLY. NEEDLESS TO SAY; IT WAS A LITTLE EMBARRASSING TO THINK THAT I BROUGHT A PERFECTLY GOOD ACFT BACK THINKING THAT WE HAD A PROB. BOTH THE FO AND MYSELF ARE EXPERIENCED MD80 DRIVERS. WE HAVE APPROX 18 YRS EXPERIENCE BTWN US FLYING THE MD80 ALONE. I CANNOT EXPLAIN THE YAWING ON TKOF THAT WE EXPERIENCED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.