Narrative:

The aircraft arrived in ZZZZ with a maintenance carryover (mco) that specified that the right nose tire was worn and had a limited number of lndgs remaining before it had to be changed. I performed the walkaround and noted the worn tire but saw no reason to deviate from the status of the tire as described in the aircraft logbook. Aircraft boarding; pushback; and ground operations were normal. At approximately vr a loud bang occurred and the aircraft shuddered continuously until the landing gear was raised. The captain noted an unknown black particle fly past the cockpit toward the rear of the aircraft. We suspected a blown nose tire immediately. We determined that the aircraft was airworthy and that engine indications were normal. Due to the heavy weight performance considerations in extremely mountainous terrain; we decided raising the landing gear was the best course of action. Although we were in VMC conditions; there were numerous cumulus buildups that were a definite factor in the mountainous terrain. After aircraft cleanup; checklist completion; and climb commencement; we contacted ZZZZ tower who reported that rubber had been noted on the runway. We then contacted our dispatcher and maintenance control and in consultation with them determined that the best course was to continue to ZZZ. Dispatch informed ATC of our situation and coordinated for a fly-by at ZZZ. Climb; cruise; and descent were normal. We declared an emergency with ZZZ approach control and confirmed the fly-by plan with observation by the tower and various aircraft waiting for takeoff. Gear lowering was normal with down; 3 greens. Tower reported nose gear/tires appeared normal. The same report was received from approximately 6 aircraft located in the proximity of runway. Emergency vehicles were present. Approach and landing were normal until nose gear touchdown. At nose gear touchdown; there was moderate aircraft shudder and noise. Directional control was adequate with a minor amount of rudder application. The shudder was not controllable with varying amounts of back-pressure. We stopped straight ahead and determined the aircraft could taxi so we cleared the runway to allow for continuous airport operations. The fire chief; maintenance; operations; and airport personnel all concurred that the aircraft was safe to be towed to the gate. Passenger offload was normal. Preliminary inspection after arrival revealed almost total loss of the exterior tread on the right nose tire. There was minor cosmetic damage to the forward belly of the airplane. There appeared to be possible damage to the bulkhead on the interior of the wheel well. The left nose tire was totally intact/normal. Conclusions/recommendations: the right nose tire blew at vr causing some damage and minor control issues on takeoff and landing. Flight operations/maintenance should consider the dispatch suitability of tire mco issues at high elevation airports. A heavy weight high speed takeoff at a high elevation airport may provide an inadequate safety margin.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW EXPERIENCES LOSS OF ACFT NOSE TIRE TREAD ON TKOF. CONTINUE TO DESTINATION AND LAND UNDER EMERGENCY CONDITIONS.

Narrative: THE ACFT ARRIVED IN ZZZZ WITH A MAINT CARRYOVER (MCO) THAT SPECIFIED THAT THE R NOSE TIRE WAS WORN AND HAD A LIMITED NUMBER OF LNDGS REMAINING BEFORE IT HAD TO BE CHANGED. I PERFORMED THE WALKAROUND AND NOTED THE WORN TIRE BUT SAW NO REASON TO DEVIATE FROM THE STATUS OF THE TIRE AS DESCRIBED IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK. ACFT BOARDING; PUSHBACK; AND GND OPS WERE NORMAL. AT APPROX VR A LOUD BANG OCCURRED AND THE ACFT SHUDDERED CONTINUOUSLY UNTIL THE LNDG GEAR WAS RAISED. THE CAPT NOTED AN UNKNOWN BLACK PARTICLE FLY PAST THE COCKPIT TOWARD THE REAR OF THE ACFT. WE SUSPECTED A BLOWN NOSE TIRE IMMEDIATELY. WE DETERMINED THAT THE ACFT WAS AIRWORTHY AND THAT ENG INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. DUE TO THE HVY WT PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS IN EXTREMELY MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN; WE DECIDED RAISING THE LNDG GEAR WAS THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION. ALTHOUGH WE WERE IN VMC CONDITIONS; THERE WERE NUMEROUS CUMULUS BUILDUPS THAT WERE A DEFINITE FACTOR IN THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. AFTER ACFT CLEANUP; CHKLIST COMPLETION; AND CLB COMMENCEMENT; WE CONTACTED ZZZZ TWR WHO RPTED THAT RUBBER HAD BEEN NOTED ON THE RWY. WE THEN CONTACTED OUR DISPATCHER AND MAINT CTL AND IN CONSULTATION WITH THEM DETERMINED THAT THE BEST COURSE WAS TO CONTINUE TO ZZZ. DISPATCH INFORMED ATC OF OUR SITUATION AND COORDINATED FOR A FLY-BY AT ZZZ. CLB; CRUISE; AND DSCNT WERE NORMAL. WE DECLARED AN EMER WITH ZZZ APCH CTL AND CONFIRMED THE FLY-BY PLAN WITH OBSERVATION BY THE TWR AND VARIOUS ACFT WAITING FOR TKOF. GEAR LOWERING WAS NORMAL WITH DOWN; 3 GREENS. TWR RPTED NOSE GEAR/TIRES APPEARED NORMAL. THE SAME RPT WAS RECEIVED FROM APPROX 6 ACFT LOCATED IN THE PROX OF RWY. EMER VEHICLES WERE PRESENT. APCH AND LNDG WERE NORMAL UNTIL NOSE GEAR TOUCHDOWN. AT NOSE GEAR TOUCHDOWN; THERE WAS MODERATE ACFT SHUDDER AND NOISE. DIRECTIONAL CTL WAS ADEQUATE WITH A MINOR AMOUNT OF RUDDER APPLICATION. THE SHUDDER WAS NOT CONTROLLABLE WITH VARYING AMOUNTS OF BACK-PRESSURE. WE STOPPED STRAIGHT AHEAD AND DETERMINED THE ACFT COULD TAXI SO WE CLRED THE RWY TO ALLOW FOR CONTINUOUS ARPT OPS. THE FIRE CHIEF; MAINT; OPS; AND ARPT PERSONNEL ALL CONCURRED THAT THE ACFT WAS SAFE TO BE TOWED TO THE GATE. PAX OFFLOAD WAS NORMAL. PRELIMINARY INSPECTION AFTER ARR REVEALED ALMOST TOTAL LOSS OF THE EXTERIOR TREAD ON THE R NOSE TIRE. THERE WAS MINOR COSMETIC DAMAGE TO THE FORWARD BELLY OF THE AIRPLANE. THERE APPEARED TO BE POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO THE BULKHEAD ON THE INTERIOR OF THE WHEEL WELL. THE L NOSE TIRE WAS TOTALLY INTACT/NORMAL. CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS: THE R NOSE TIRE BLEW AT VR CAUSING SOME DAMAGE AND MINOR CTL ISSUES ON TKOF AND LNDG. FLT OPS/MAINT SHOULD CONSIDER THE DISPATCH SUITABILITY OF TIRE MCO ISSUES AT HIGH ELEVATION ARPTS. A HVY WT HIGH SPD TKOF AT A HIGH ELEVATION ARPT MAY PROVIDE AN INADEQUATE SAFETY MARGIN.

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.