Narrative:

Left main tire failed on takeoff; and crew discontinued takeoff. After the aircraft was slowed to about 40 KTS; it yawed abruptly to right and briefly departed runway surface. Control was regained and aircraft was stopped on the runway with about 2300 ft remaining. Left main tire and wheel were destroyed; and right main tire sustained cuts requiring replacement. Some propeller blades on both sides sustained nicks; which were dressed. Both main tires and the left wheel were replaced; and aircraft was returned to service; as there was no other apparent damage. Left main gear tire apparently was beginning to deflate as takeoff roll began; as evidenced by tire marks starting at the approach end of the fixed distance markers. Initial marks were parallel lines; the width of the wheel rim. Marks became solid; width of the tire; further along runway; until tire failed catastrophically; when marks became intermittent. Control was not an issue until the first officer (PF) had slowed to about 40 KTS; when the aircraft veered violently right at about 70 degrees to runway heading. Captain (PNF) took control and engaged nosewheel steering as aircraft was about to depart runway. Aircraft departed runway at about 40 degrees to runway heading. Aircraft was about 10 ft to right of runway for about 30 ft; brushing against a frangible runway light; which fell over; but the glass did not break. Aircraft returned to runway surface at about 40 degree angle and was stopped approximately straight ahead with the left wingtip over the left edge of the runway and approximately 2300 ft remaining. It is procedure with this aircraft to disengage nosewheel steering on takeoff prior to 60 KTS. It is normally not to be re-engaged until a safe taxi speed; when clear of the runway. This can make control difficult in a crosswind; and sometimes it is necessary to stop the aircraft prior to re-engaging nosewheel steering. Crew does not understand why the aircraft veered to the right; when the left tire failed; unless possibly a wind gust influenced the direction after the rudder effectiveness diminished at slow speed. This seems unlikely; as gusty winds were not reported. The right brake did not appear to have been at fault. It was not warm; although the left brake and tire were smoking; mostly due to the tire; which became molten and sprayed small pieces of reverted rubber under the left wing and along the left fuselage side. The tire failure was difficult to determine; as a sudden roaring noise initially developed at about 75 KTS. Tire failure was suspected; and abort initiated before the tire actually failed with an accompanying bumping sensation; after the takeoff had been discontinued. (Reason for failure was not apparent; as the tire was fairly new; had good tread; and looked normal during the preflight inspection. Crew could not determine by inspecting the remains of the tire; if there had been a puncture sometime during the taxi to the runway.) tire and wheel have been returned to company maintenance base for inspection. The right yaw was so abrupt; as to be almost impossible to arrest without nosewheel steering. Lesson learned is to be wary of unexpected violent directional changes even at slow speed. The rejected takeoff event is not complete until the aircraft is stopped; secured; and passenger/crew are safe and evacuate/evacuationed; if necessary. There were no passenger on this flight; and the crew did not declare an emergency; but declared '...discontinuing takeoff on runway xa.' the reason for the tire failure and the right yaw remain undetermined. Investigation is ongoing by the company. This is not the first time an event of this nature has occurred with this type aircraft. The manufacturer recently issued a bulletin regarding nosewheel steering operation on takeoff and landing. Supplemental information from acn 785438: shortly after beginning takeoff; left main tire suddenly went flat (approximately 75 KTS). Takeoff was then aborted. Power was reduced and the propellers were brought into 'beta;' ie; flat pitch. Care was used to not overcorrect aircraft's pulling tendencies to the left. The tire shortly after abort started to disintegrate causing additional left pulling tendencies. The aircraft decelerated and we maintained slightly left of centerline to about 18 ft left of centerline (runway was 75 ft wide). I used right rudder and small right brake applications to maintain directional control. As the aircraft decelerated to approximately 30 KTS a sudden and violent hard turn to the right (approximately 70 degrees) occurred. I used full left rudder and maximum left brake (flat tire) to try to control the aircraft with no response. As a last resort; I called for nosewheel steering to try to get aircraft to respond to left control inputs. The nosewheel steering was then turned on by the captain. At this time the captain took control of aircraft and held my previous established inputs. The aircraft began to come back to left; but not before running off of right side of runway at an approximately 40 degree angle to runway. Aircraft exited off runway for a total distance of about 30 ft getting approximately a total of 15 ft off of runway to right. 1 runway edge light was popped off by the right tire but the glass was not broken. Airport personnel fixed the light in approximately 15 mins. After reviewing skid marks; tires; runway; etc; the cause of the sudden flat could not be determined. There were no signs of a foreign object causing the sudden loss of tire pressure. The tire and rim will be inspected/investigated by maintenance personnel. The reason for the sudden hard right turn is unknown. The captain believes we might have gotten a right tailwind gust. I also thought that possibly the loose rubber around the rim might have shifted in such a way as to cause a right pushing tendency. As of now; it is still unexplained. I cannot think of anything I or the captain could or should have done differently. The nosewheel steering helped us re-establish control of the aircraft; but overcorrection of an aircraft with a blown tire is one of the leading causes of loss of control of an aircraft during tire blowouts; considering a service bulletin has been put out on the P180 to not turn on the nosewheel steering until reaching taxi speed because of hard directional changes occurring. I don't think it would be prudent to use nosewheel steering as a standard during tire blowouts.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A P180 FLT CREW EXPERIENCED A MAIN GEAR TIRE FAILURE ON TAKEOFF. THEY REJECTED THE TAKEOFF AND HAD SOME DIFFICULTY CONTROLLING THE AIRCRAFT DURING DECELERATION; LEAVING THE RUNWAY DURING THE STOP.

Narrative: L MAIN TIRE FAILED ON TKOF; AND CREW DISCONTINUED TKOF. AFTER THE ACFT WAS SLOWED TO ABOUT 40 KTS; IT YAWED ABRUPTLY TO R AND BRIEFLY DEPARTED RWY SURFACE. CTL WAS REGAINED AND ACFT WAS STOPPED ON THE RWY WITH ABOUT 2300 FT REMAINING. L MAIN TIRE AND WHEEL WERE DESTROYED; AND R MAIN TIRE SUSTAINED CUTS REQUIRING REPLACEMENT. SOME PROP BLADES ON BOTH SIDES SUSTAINED NICKS; WHICH WERE DRESSED. BOTH MAIN TIRES AND THE L WHEEL WERE REPLACED; AND ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SVC; AS THERE WAS NO OTHER APPARENT DAMAGE. L MAIN GEAR TIRE APPARENTLY WAS BEGINNING TO DEFLATE AS TKOF ROLL BEGAN; AS EVIDENCED BY TIRE MARKS STARTING AT THE APCH END OF THE FIXED DISTANCE MARKERS. INITIAL MARKS WERE PARALLEL LINES; THE WIDTH OF THE WHEEL RIM. MARKS BECAME SOLID; WIDTH OF THE TIRE; FURTHER ALONG RWY; UNTIL TIRE FAILED CATASTROPHICALLY; WHEN MARKS BECAME INTERMITTENT. CTL WAS NOT AN ISSUE UNTIL THE FO (PF) HAD SLOWED TO ABOUT 40 KTS; WHEN THE ACFT VEERED VIOLENTLY R AT ABOUT 70 DEGS TO RWY HDG. CAPT (PNF) TOOK CTL AND ENGAGED NOSEWHEEL STEERING AS ACFT WAS ABOUT TO DEPART RWY. ACFT DEPARTED RWY AT ABOUT 40 DEGS TO RWY HDG. ACFT WAS ABOUT 10 FT TO R OF RWY FOR ABOUT 30 FT; BRUSHING AGAINST A FRANGIBLE RWY LIGHT; WHICH FELL OVER; BUT THE GLASS DID NOT BREAK. ACFT RETURNED TO RWY SURFACE AT ABOUT 40 DEG ANGLE AND WAS STOPPED APPROX STRAIGHT AHEAD WITH THE L WINGTIP OVER THE L EDGE OF THE RWY AND APPROX 2300 FT REMAINING. IT IS PROC WITH THIS ACFT TO DISENGAGE NOSEWHEEL STEERING ON TKOF PRIOR TO 60 KTS. IT IS NORMALLY NOT TO BE RE-ENGAGED UNTIL A SAFE TAXI SPD; WHEN CLR OF THE RWY. THIS CAN MAKE CTL DIFFICULT IN A XWIND; AND SOMETIMES IT IS NECESSARY TO STOP THE ACFT PRIOR TO RE-ENGAGING NOSEWHEEL STEERING. CREW DOES NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE ACFT VEERED TO THE R; WHEN THE L TIRE FAILED; UNLESS POSSIBLY A WIND GUST INFLUENCED THE DIRECTION AFTER THE RUDDER EFFECTIVENESS DIMINISHED AT SLOW SPD. THIS SEEMS UNLIKELY; AS GUSTY WINDS WERE NOT RPTED. THE R BRAKE DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN AT FAULT. IT WAS NOT WARM; ALTHOUGH THE L BRAKE AND TIRE WERE SMOKING; MOSTLY DUE TO THE TIRE; WHICH BECAME MOLTEN AND SPRAYED SMALL PIECES OF REVERTED RUBBER UNDER THE L WING AND ALONG THE L FUSELAGE SIDE. THE TIRE FAILURE WAS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE; AS A SUDDEN ROARING NOISE INITIALLY DEVELOPED AT ABOUT 75 KTS. TIRE FAILURE WAS SUSPECTED; AND ABORT INITIATED BEFORE THE TIRE ACTUALLY FAILED WITH AN ACCOMPANYING BUMPING SENSATION; AFTER THE TKOF HAD BEEN DISCONTINUED. (REASON FOR FAILURE WAS NOT APPARENT; AS THE TIRE WAS FAIRLY NEW; HAD GOOD TREAD; AND LOOKED NORMAL DURING THE PREFLT INSPECTION. CREW COULD NOT DETERMINE BY INSPECTING THE REMAINS OF THE TIRE; IF THERE HAD BEEN A PUNCTURE SOMETIME DURING THE TAXI TO THE RWY.) TIRE AND WHEEL HAVE BEEN RETURNED TO COMPANY MAINT BASE FOR INSPECTION. THE R YAW WAS SO ABRUPT; AS TO BE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO ARREST WITHOUT NOSEWHEEL STEERING. LESSON LEARNED IS TO BE WARY OF UNEXPECTED VIOLENT DIRECTIONAL CHANGES EVEN AT SLOW SPD. THE REJECTED TKOF EVENT IS NOT COMPLETE UNTIL THE ACFT IS STOPPED; SECURED; AND PAX/CREW ARE SAFE AND EVACED; IF NECESSARY. THERE WERE NO PAX ON THIS FLT; AND THE CREW DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER; BUT DECLARED '...DISCONTINUING TKOF ON RWY XA.' THE REASON FOR THE TIRE FAILURE AND THE R YAW REMAIN UNDETERMINED. INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING BY THE COMPANY. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME AN EVENT OF THIS NATURE HAS OCCURRED WITH THIS TYPE ACFT. THE MANUFACTURER RECENTLY ISSUED A BULLETIN REGARDING NOSEWHEEL STEERING OP ON TKOF AND LNDG. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 785438: SHORTLY AFTER BEGINNING TKOF; L MAIN TIRE SUDDENLY WENT FLAT (APPROX 75 KTS). TKOF WAS THEN ABORTED. PWR WAS REDUCED AND THE PROPS WERE BROUGHT INTO 'BETA;' IE; FLAT PITCH. CARE WAS USED TO NOT OVERCORRECT ACFT'S PULLING TENDENCIES TO THE L. THE TIRE SHORTLY AFTER ABORT STARTED TO DISINTEGRATE CAUSING ADDITIONAL L PULLING TENDENCIES. THE ACFT DECELERATED AND WE MAINTAINED SLIGHTLY L OF CTRLINE TO ABOUT 18 FT L OF CTRLINE (RWY WAS 75 FT WIDE). I USED R RUDDER AND SMALL R BRAKE APPLICATIONS TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CTL. AS THE ACFT DECELERATED TO APPROX 30 KTS A SUDDEN AND VIOLENT HARD TURN TO THE R (APPROX 70 DEGS) OCCURRED. I USED FULL L RUDDER AND MAX L BRAKE (FLAT TIRE) TO TRY TO CTL THE ACFT WITH NO RESPONSE. AS A LAST RESORT; I CALLED FOR NOSEWHEEL STEERING TO TRY TO GET ACFT TO RESPOND TO L CTL INPUTS. THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING WAS THEN TURNED ON BY THE CAPT. AT THIS TIME THE CAPT TOOK CTL OF ACFT AND HELD MY PREVIOUS ESTABLISHED INPUTS. THE ACFT BEGAN TO COME BACK TO L; BUT NOT BEFORE RUNNING OFF OF R SIDE OF RWY AT AN APPROX 40 DEG ANGLE TO RWY. ACFT EXITED OFF RWY FOR A TOTAL DISTANCE OF ABOUT 30 FT GETTING APPROX A TOTAL OF 15 FT OFF OF RWY TO R. 1 RWY EDGE LIGHT WAS POPPED OFF BY THE R TIRE BUT THE GLASS WAS NOT BROKEN. ARPT PERSONNEL FIXED THE LIGHT IN APPROX 15 MINS. AFTER REVIEWING SKID MARKS; TIRES; RWY; ETC; THE CAUSE OF THE SUDDEN FLAT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF A FOREIGN OBJECT CAUSING THE SUDDEN LOSS OF TIRE PRESSURE. THE TIRE AND RIM WILL BE INSPECTED/INVESTIGATED BY MAINT PERSONNEL. THE REASON FOR THE SUDDEN HARD R TURN IS UNKNOWN. THE CAPT BELIEVES WE MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN A R TAILWIND GUST. I ALSO THOUGHT THAT POSSIBLY THE LOOSE RUBBER AROUND THE RIM MIGHT HAVE SHIFTED IN SUCH A WAY AS TO CAUSE A R PUSHING TENDENCY. AS OF NOW; IT IS STILL UNEXPLAINED. I CANNOT THINK OF ANYTHING I OR THE CAPT COULD OR SHOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY. THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING HELPED US RE-ESTABLISH CTL OF THE ACFT; BUT OVERCORRECTION OF AN ACFT WITH A BLOWN TIRE IS ONE OF THE LEADING CAUSES OF LOSS OF CTL OF AN ACFT DURING TIRE BLOWOUTS; CONSIDERING A SVC BULLETIN HAS BEEN PUT OUT ON THE P180 TO NOT TURN ON THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING UNTIL REACHING TAXI SPD BECAUSE OF HARD DIRECTIONAL CHANGES OCCURRING. I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE PRUDENT TO USE NOSEWHEEL STEERING AS A STANDARD DURING TIRE BLOWOUTS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.