Narrative:

I was accused by the FAA GADO in teb of being over gross on takeoff which I had no control over and at the time of takeoff I believed I was within takeoff weight limits of 17726#. Maximum in the light transport is 18300#. It has been approved in our operations manual and company policy for 2 yrs that I be given my cargo weights and number of pieces through our office or our company agent in the city we pick up cargo. To the best of my knowledge and the pieces and weights given to me by my company or the agent has always averaged between 120 to 160 pieces and a weight averaging from 2000# to 2800#. The night of the incident I was given a weight of 2156# fuel on board was 5600 pounds and bow was 9970. This was a total takeoff weight of 17726#, within takeoff limits. As I was taking off at teb on runway 1 at 130 KTS I experienced a double blow out on the left main gear tires. (V1 was calculated to be 133 KTS.) being below V1 (130 KTS) I immediately aborted the takeoff thrust levers to idle, maximum braking, spoilers extended and thrust reversers deployed. I kept the aircraft on the runway until the last 50-75' of runway when the aircraft started veering slightly to the right. Speed was approximately 50-60 KTS. Aircraft veered off runway 1 teb into the soft grass at a very slight angle, but because of the soft grass the nose gear snapped aft and broke but still connected to the aircraft. Dirt from the grass went into the left engine and was damaged. I do not know to what extent. Brakes were worn down due to maximum braking. Tires were gone on the left main gear due to blow out and friction on concrete on runway 1 at teb. That was the extent of the damage. (FAA has told me they are ruling it an incident.) when the FAA came out that night they quarantined the disabled aircraft, took pictures and weighed all the cargo pieces. The weight given by the FAA after they weighed it was 3800#, 1600# over what I was given, 1100 pounds over takeoff gross limits of the light transport. If the customers cheated on their weights, I had no way of knowing. I was given the weight by our company agent that night of 2156#, which is normal procedure and has been for last 2 yrs. Yet the FAA is accusing me and in their words 'because I am the PIC,' which I think is totally wrong and unfair. The FAA does not believe the over gross weight was the factor of the blow out because the light transport has the same gear and tire assembly and has a gross takeoff weight of over 20000#. The tires that blew were changed before a flight was taken prior to the incident in teb. Either the tires were put on wrong or it came from a bad batch of tires. In Y 14 yrs of flying (10 yrs in light transport, 1978-88) I have never been accused of breaking a regulation and I have never been violated or suspended. I have always done the best that I could for the safety of flight, and I honestly feel there was no way of me knowing I was over gross when I taxied out of teb. The FAA commended me numerous times on excellent control of the aircraft since it could have been disastrous and there was nothing else they could accuse me of except being over gross. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter's lawyer has submitted a written report to the FAA and a copy of the reporter's statement reference the incident. Action is still pending. Feels strongly he was in compliance with company approved procedure. Thinks the company is taking action against the tire mfr since reports have been made that the mfr has produced a run of defective tires.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TKOF ABORT ACCOUNT LEFT TIRES BLOWN. UNABLE TO STOP ON THE RWY.

Narrative: I WAS ACCUSED BY THE FAA GADO IN TEB OF BEING OVER GROSS ON TKOF WHICH I HAD NO CONTROL OVER AND AT THE TIME OF TKOF I BELIEVED I WAS WITHIN TKOF WEIGHT LIMITS OF 17726#. MAX IN THE LTT IS 18300#. IT HAS BEEN APPROVED IN OUR OPS MANUAL AND COMPANY POLICY FOR 2 YRS THAT I BE GIVEN MY CARGO WTS AND NUMBER OF PIECES THROUGH OUR OFFICE OR OUR COMPANY AGENT IN THE CITY WE PICK UP CARGO. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE AND THE PIECES AND WTS GIVEN TO ME BY MY COMPANY OR THE AGENT HAS ALWAYS AVERAGED BTWN 120 TO 160 PIECES AND A WT AVERAGING FROM 2000# TO 2800#. THE NIGHT OF THE INCIDENT I WAS GIVEN A WT OF 2156# FUEL ON BOARD WAS 5600 LBS AND BOW WAS 9970. THIS WAS A TOTAL TKOF WT OF 17726#, WITHIN TKOF LIMITS. AS I WAS TAKING OFF AT TEB ON RWY 1 AT 130 KTS I EXPERIENCED A DOUBLE BLOW OUT ON THE LEFT MAIN GEAR TIRES. (V1 WAS CALCULATED TO BE 133 KTS.) BEING BELOW V1 (130 KTS) I IMMEDIATELY ABORTED THE TKOF THRUST LEVERS TO IDLE, MAX BRAKING, SPOILERS EXTENDED AND THRUST REVERSERS DEPLOYED. I KEPT THE ACFT ON THE RWY UNTIL THE LAST 50-75' OF RWY WHEN THE ACFT STARTED VEERING SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT. SPD WAS APPROX 50-60 KTS. ACFT VEERED OFF RWY 1 TEB INTO THE SOFT GRASS AT A VERY SLIGHT ANGLE, BUT BECAUSE OF THE SOFT GRASS THE NOSE GEAR SNAPPED AFT AND BROKE BUT STILL CONNECTED TO THE ACFT. DIRT FROM THE GRASS WENT INTO THE LEFT ENG AND WAS DAMAGED. I DO NOT KNOW TO WHAT EXTENT. BRAKES WERE WORN DOWN DUE TO MAX BRAKING. TIRES WERE GONE ON THE LEFT MAIN GEAR DUE TO BLOW OUT AND FRICTION ON CONCRETE ON RWY 1 AT TEB. THAT WAS THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE. (FAA HAS TOLD ME THEY ARE RULING IT AN INCIDENT.) WHEN THE FAA CAME OUT THAT NIGHT THEY QUARANTINED THE DISABLED ACFT, TOOK PICTURES AND WEIGHED ALL THE CARGO PIECES. THE WT GIVEN BY THE FAA AFTER THEY WEIGHED IT WAS 3800#, 1600# OVER WHAT I WAS GIVEN, 1100 LBS OVER TKOF GROSS LIMITS OF THE LTT. IF THE CUSTOMERS CHEATED ON THEIR WTS, I HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING. I WAS GIVEN THE WT BY OUR COMPANY AGENT THAT NIGHT OF 2156#, WHICH IS NORMAL PROC AND HAS BEEN FOR LAST 2 YRS. YET THE FAA IS ACCUSING ME AND IN THEIR WORDS 'BECAUSE I AM THE PIC,' WHICH I THINK IS TOTALLY WRONG AND UNFAIR. THE FAA DOES NOT BELIEVE THE OVER GROSS WT WAS THE FACTOR OF THE BLOW OUT BECAUSE THE LTT HAS THE SAME GEAR AND TIRE ASSEMBLY AND HAS A GROSS TKOF WT OF OVER 20000#. THE TIRES THAT BLEW WERE CHANGED BEFORE A FLT WAS TAKEN PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT IN TEB. EITHER THE TIRES WERE PUT ON WRONG OR IT CAME FROM A BAD BATCH OF TIRES. IN Y 14 YRS OF FLYING (10 YRS IN LTT, 1978-88) I HAVE NEVER BEEN ACCUSED OF BREAKING A REG AND I HAVE NEVER BEEN VIOLATED OR SUSPENDED. I HAVE ALWAYS DONE THE BEST THAT I COULD FOR THE SAFETY OF FLT, AND I HONESTLY FEEL THERE WAS NO WAY OF ME KNOWING I WAS OVER GROSS WHEN I TAXIED OUT OF TEB. THE FAA COMMENDED ME NUMEROUS TIMES ON EXCELLENT CONTROL OF THE ACFT SINCE IT COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS AND THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE THEY COULD ACCUSE ME OF EXCEPT BEING OVER GROSS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR'S LAWYER HAS SUBMITTED A WRITTEN RPT TO THE FAA AND A COPY OF THE RPTR'S STATEMENT REF THE INCIDENT. ACTION IS STILL PENDING. FEELS STRONGLY HE WAS IN COMPLIANCE WITH COMPANY APPROVED PROC. THINKS THE COMPANY IS TAKING ACTION AGAINST THE TIRE MFR SINCE RPTS HAVE BEEN MADE THAT THE MFR HAS PRODUCED A RUN OF DEFECTIVE TIRES.

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