Narrative:

Start and taxi out uneventful. We took the runway and captain gave me the aircraft. Initial takeoff roll was uneventful to 30-40 KTS. As airspeed increased past 30-40 KTS the aircraft started to require right rudder to maintain runway centerline. The aircraft was easily controllable and the ground roll was smooth. The aircraft felt like I was adding rudder for crosswind control. We passed through 80 KTS and the aircraft continued to handle smoothly. I mentioned to captain that I was adding what felt like an unusual amount of rudder. Passing through about 100 KTS I mentioned that I had about 3/4 rudder deflection to maintain centerline. As the speed increased past 100 KTS I was able to ease off the rudder and we rotated with what felt like centered rudder. After takeoff and cleanup; another aircraft told us that our nosewheel had looked cocked on takeoff and that we were smoking nose tire rubber during the takeoff. Cleanup and initial climb out was uneventful. I continued to fly the aircraft and the check airman coordinated our return. He declared the emergency and notified all the required agencies. We set up for the approach and captain flew an uneventful overweight landing. He held the nosewheel off until approximately 90 KTS. Taxi back and shutdown was uneventful. Maintenance could not find any problems on an initial inspection except unusual tire wear on the nosewheel. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: although the nose tires were abnormally worn; they did not show wear that would indicate the nosewheels were responsible for the pulling. The aircraft was taken out of service. The reporter had recently returned after a long absence and this was his second takeoff since returning. Thus the check airman's presence. Supplemental information from acn 784260: operations normal until takeoff roll. Shortly after power was set for takeoff the first officer advises me he requires excessive right rudder to maintain directional control. I notice the same and check the rudder trim; fuel flows and N1/N2. All are normal. Tiller is centered in normal position. Well past 80 KTS and tracking the centerline I decide to continue. Lift-off normal. Other airline pilot advises tower that our nosewheel was clearly deflected and smoke was coming from the nose tires during takeoff roll. Thinking I may have a directional control problem during landing; I decide to return to ZZZ. I would rather deal with it there rather than at destination. With first officer flying; I declare an emergency with ATC and request a return ZZZ. Contact dispatch and inform him of the situation. Brief flight attendants and made PA to passenger. Comply with QRH emergency landing procedure and overweight landing procedure. Arff requested to stand by. I think I filled all the squares before starting the approach. Since the first officer is on his 3RD leg since return from extended furlough and not flying anything; I decide to make the landing. We slow early to burn some more fuel. We will be slightly over maximum landing weight. Nice WX and calm winds. Very smooth touchdown at 100-200 FPM; if that. Idle reverse with speed brakes deployed. Hold the nose off until about 80 KTS. Nose touches down smoothly and aircraft tracks perfectly straight. Normal taxi to gate. Both nose tires have excessive; unusual wear. Great job by first officer and all flight attendants. Having thought about this since yesterday; I should have immediately aborted the takeoff. But; we were pushing 80 KTS as this situation developed. The airplane was under control and stayed that way. I was unsure what might happen if I did abort. We were in that small window where you can abort; but if you wait another second you should continue. It would have been easier if something had simply failed with a big bang.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 FO REPORTS ACFT PULLING TO LEFT DURING TKOF AND NOSE TIRE SMOKE IS REPORTED BY ANOTHER ACFT. EMERGENCY DECLARED WITH UNEVENTFUL LANDING.

Narrative: START AND TAXI OUT UNEVENTFUL. WE TOOK THE RWY AND CAPT GAVE ME THE ACFT. INITIAL TKOF ROLL WAS UNEVENTFUL TO 30-40 KTS. AS AIRSPD INCREASED PAST 30-40 KTS THE ACFT STARTED TO REQUIRE R RUDDER TO MAINTAIN RWY CTRLINE. THE ACFT WAS EASILY CONTROLLABLE AND THE GND ROLL WAS SMOOTH. THE ACFT FELT LIKE I WAS ADDING RUDDER FOR XWIND CTL. WE PASSED THROUGH 80 KTS AND THE ACFT CONTINUED TO HANDLE SMOOTHLY. I MENTIONED TO CAPT THAT I WAS ADDING WHAT FELT LIKE AN UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF RUDDER. PASSING THROUGH ABOUT 100 KTS I MENTIONED THAT I HAD ABOUT 3/4 RUDDER DEFLECTION TO MAINTAIN CTRLINE. AS THE SPD INCREASED PAST 100 KTS I WAS ABLE TO EASE OFF THE RUDDER AND WE ROTATED WITH WHAT FELT LIKE CTRED RUDDER. AFTER TKOF AND CLEANUP; ANOTHER ACFT TOLD US THAT OUR NOSEWHEEL HAD LOOKED COCKED ON TKOF AND THAT WE WERE SMOKING NOSE TIRE RUBBER DURING THE TKOF. CLEANUP AND INITIAL CLBOUT WAS UNEVENTFUL. I CONTINUED TO FLY THE ACFT AND THE CHK AIRMAN COORDINATED OUR RETURN. HE DECLARED THE EMER AND NOTIFIED ALL THE REQUIRED AGENCIES. WE SET UP FOR THE APCH AND CAPT FLEW AN UNEVENTFUL OVERWT LNDG. HE HELD THE NOSEWHEEL OFF UNTIL APPROX 90 KTS. TAXI BACK AND SHUTDOWN WAS UNEVENTFUL. MAINT COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBS ON AN INITIAL INSPECTION EXCEPT UNUSUAL TIRE WEAR ON THE NOSEWHEEL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ALTHOUGH THE NOSE TIRES WERE ABNORMALLY WORN; THEY DID NOT SHOW WEAR THAT WOULD INDICATE THE NOSEWHEELS WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PULLING. THE ACFT WAS TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE. THE REPORTER HAD RECENTLY RETURNED AFTER A LONG ABSENCE AND THIS WAS HIS SECOND TKOF SINCE RETURNING. THUS THE CHECK AIRMAN'S PRESENCE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 784260: OPS NORMAL UNTIL TKOF ROLL. SHORTLY AFTER PWR WAS SET FOR TKOF THE FO ADVISES ME HE REQUIRES EXCESSIVE R RUDDER TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CTL. I NOTICE THE SAME AND CHK THE RUDDER TRIM; FUEL FLOWS AND N1/N2. ALL ARE NORMAL. TILLER IS CTRED IN NORMAL POS. WELL PAST 80 KTS AND TRACKING THE CTRLINE I DECIDE TO CONTINUE. LIFT-OFF NORMAL. OTHER AIRLINE PLT ADVISES TWR THAT OUR NOSEWHEEL WAS CLEARLY DEFLECTED AND SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE NOSE TIRES DURING TKOF ROLL. THINKING I MAY HAVE A DIRECTIONAL CTL PROB DURING LNDG; I DECIDE TO RETURN TO ZZZ. I WOULD RATHER DEAL WITH IT THERE RATHER THAN AT DEST. WITH FO FLYING; I DECLARE AN EMER WITH ATC AND REQUEST A RETURN ZZZ. CONTACT DISPATCH AND INFORM HIM OF THE SITUATION. BRIEF FLT ATTENDANTS AND MADE PA TO PAX. COMPLY WITH QRH EMER LNDG PROC AND OVERWT LNDG PROC. ARFF REQUESTED TO STAND BY. I THINK I FILLED ALL THE SQUARES BEFORE STARTING THE APCH. SINCE THE FO IS ON HIS 3RD LEG SINCE RETURN FROM EXTENDED FURLOUGH AND NOT FLYING ANYTHING; I DECIDE TO MAKE THE LNDG. WE SLOW EARLY TO BURN SOME MORE FUEL. WE WILL BE SLIGHTLY OVER MAX LNDG WT. NICE WX AND CALM WINDS. VERY SMOOTH TOUCHDOWN AT 100-200 FPM; IF THAT. IDLE REVERSE WITH SPD BRAKES DEPLOYED. HOLD THE NOSE OFF UNTIL ABOUT 80 KTS. NOSE TOUCHES DOWN SMOOTHLY AND ACFT TRACKS PERFECTLY STRAIGHT. NORMAL TAXI TO GATE. BOTH NOSE TIRES HAVE EXCESSIVE; UNUSUAL WEAR. GREAT JOB BY FO AND ALL FLT ATTENDANTS. HAVING THOUGHT ABOUT THIS SINCE YESTERDAY; I SHOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY ABORTED THE TKOF. BUT; WE WERE PUSHING 80 KTS AS THIS SITUATION DEVELOPED. THE AIRPLANE WAS UNDER CTL AND STAYED THAT WAY. I WAS UNSURE WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IF I DID ABORT. WE WERE IN THAT SMALL WINDOW WHERE YOU CAN ABORT; BUT IF YOU WAIT ANOTHER SECOND YOU SHOULD CONTINUE. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EASIER IF SOMETHING HAD SIMPLY FAILED WITH A BIG BANG.

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.