An interview question....

[Pilotdude3407]

Came across this a few days ago and I have been thinking about it ever since and I don't have a solid answer so I need some help....

What do you do if you blow a tire on take-off? (This is kind of broad so I will narrow it down to other questions)

Blow a tire before V1?
After V1?
If you decide to go, what kind of landing will you make?
Any other good advice....

P.S. Since this is regional stuff, lets pretend we are on an RJ and not a 777 since I am sure you will get different answers on that. Thanks for all your help. CHEERS

[falconvalley]

To help you, here's an excerpt from the before departure briefing I give:

"...we'll abort for any red annunciator up to 80 knots; up to V1: Fire, Engine Failure, or loss of directional control; V1 we'll take it in the air and treat it as an inflight emergency..."

That could change slightly between airframes, but to give you a general idea, V1 is the key speed. I would say blow a tire up to V1, abort. V1 or after, take it in the air.

[falconvalley]

I almost forgot. Land off to the side of the runway towards the good tire for a blown main. Obviously a completely different event between a 777 and a Navajo. Nose tires keep the nose off the runway as long as possible.

[Doug Taylor]

Originally Posted by Pilotdude3407

Blow a tire before V1?

How fast are we? below 80 knots, above 80 knots?

After V1?

We're going flying!

If you decide to go, what kind of landing will you make?

Normal.

[OldTownPilot]

I know a guy that lost a tire on a beech 1900. Like tire, wheel whole thing gone and found in a snowbank lost. He circled for a but then landed without any thing major happening. not really a big event but this was at a small commuter so it was kinda a big deal for them.

He never knew it was gone until they found it in the snowbank after plowing and traced the serial number.

[calcapt]

I'm a "keep it going" kind of captain. If you are slow speed and you hear and feel a problem and question your ability to fly - Abort. If above 80 knots and I don't have a confirmed engine failure or fire, we are going flying. Blown tires, windows flying open and door annunciator lights coming on are common things people unnecessarily abort for in my opinion. Landing and even taking off with a blown tire is typically a "non-event". The Air France concorde blown tire incident was never recognized by the crew until it had developed into a much larger problem. The Concorde outcome is obviously not typical of blown tire events

[Wolfy]

Originally Posted by Pilotdude3407

If you decide to go, what kind of landing will you make?

An awesome one.

[captainflyguy]

The Concorde incident was a blown tire turned engine ingestion issue due to the low slung "rear oriented" engine pods. Certainly not an issue on most Boeing aircraft.

[t-cart]

I know a guy that hit a rice field levee with the right main gear of an ag-cat. Knocked the wheel completely off the gear leg. When he landed it wasnt pretty. Didnt hurt him but totalled the plane. Immidiate upside down at about 65 mph. I landed a cat on a flat tire once.,wasnt as bad as i thought it would be FLY SAFE T.C.

[Screaming_Emu]

Would the fact that your braking may be a bit less than stellar affect your decision to abort or not if you're at a high speed but not yet at V1?

[BobDDuck]

If I am anywhere near 80 knots or better I am going to take the problem up in the air with me. As long as I can maintain directional control during the acceleration, I'd rather take off and come back around and land with all the runway in front of me then risk a high speed reject with half the runway behind me. Also, V1 is figured for all wheels braking. Only 3 wheels may not actually get you stopped in time.

The question then becomes what do you do with your gear?

[74driver]

I had it in a 737 take off, and we were just few knots below V1, A/C was under control with not much of runway remaining, I decide to go & then kept the gear down for a few minutes just to make sure no fire will be associated, then raise the gear and kept on going to my destination. On landing, touched down on the good side then stopped the aircraft with only tire damage. Fly safe.

[I_Money]

Would you pull the gear up?

[gomntwins]

Originally Posted by calcapt

I'm a "keep it going" kind of captain. If you are slow speed and you hear and feel a problem and question your ability to fly - Abort. If above 80 knots and I don't have a confirmed engine failure or fire, we are going flying. Blown tires, windows flying open and door annunciator lights coming on are common things people unnecessarily abort for in my opinion.

My question is on the door... what if it's structural... would you still keep going? Is the door structural on your airplane? After v1 you keep going... but if v1 is greather than 80 knots and you have the runway to stop what would you do? I'm just curious. My airplane (metroliner) both the cargo and the crew door are structural... I'd stop any normal time (I'm sure if I thought long enough I could come up with a scenario where I'd Keep going-- probably runway length) below V1.

[ppragman]

Originally Posted by Pilotdude3407

Came across this a few days ago and I have been thinking about it ever since and I don't have a solid answer so I need some help....

What do you do if you blow a tire on take-off? (This is kind of broad so I will narrow it down to other questions)

Blow a tire before V1?
After V1?
If you decide to go, what kind of landing will you make?
Any other good advice....

P.S. Since this is regional stuff, lets pretend we are on an RJ and not a 777 since I am sure you will get different answers on that. Thanks for all your help. CHEERS

Before V1:
Chop it and stop
After V1
depends
Suitable Runway to slow to a stop.
Chop it and stop
Insuficient Runway
Take it airborne.

[NJGov]

Originally Posted by ppragman

Before V1:
Chop it and stop
After V1
depends
Suitable Runway to slow to a stop.
Chop it and stop
Insuficient Runway
Take it airborne.

A transport category aircraft will infrequently takeoff with maximum rated thrust. A de-rated thrust takeoff is extremely common to preserve engine life, reduce costs, etc etc. The determination to use a de-rated thrust setting is based on runway length, environmental considerations (wind, weather, etc), and flap / slat settings.

The above parameters will be factored into CDL and MEL equipment to determine the takeoff weight allowance. The weight is compared to an Airport Analysis Chart to determine if the aircraft can operate out of the runway [or intersection, as appropriate] in the current conditions. It also takes into consideration the FAA climb segment restrictions.

The V1 speeds for a normal or de-rated takeoff will be the same. The de-rated thrust can be anywhere between 8 and 20 percent LESS than the normal rated thrust takeoff.

Longer acceleration times = longer ground roll. What im basically trying to get across, is that during any situation, the company will use the runway (all of it, if possible) to reduce costs. Dont ever assume that you have "ample" extra unless flying out of Russia where runways are 16000 feet long...

But when it really comes down to it.. if the aircraft is above V1, you are going. Or else you may end up in the water if attempting a reject at LGA.

Many aircraft nowadays with EICAS technology will inhibit caution and some warning messages during the takeoff roll in low and high speed regimes or on landing.

Follow the regulations. V1 is not a decision speed. It is an action speed. Numerous studies have shown that it is safer to continue the takeoff rather than to abort.

[PT6drvr]

Consider the fact that you most likely you have dual tires, so it's not like you don't have anything left there... the solution as to when or if you abort, I agree with Calcapt and I would not rectract the gear if I suspect an overheat situation or a possibility of gear jamming with debris.

[Airdale]

Originally Posted by ppragman

Before V1:
Chop it and stop
After V1
depends
Suitable Runway to slow to a stop.
Chop it and stop
Insuficient Runway
Take it airborne.

Sure about that? V1 is Take off decision speed. After V1, you're going, otherwise whats the point of having a V1 speed?


"Engine failure or abnormality, including red or yellow annunciators, prior to 80kts, we'll abort. Above 80, prior to V1, we'll abort for any Engine failure, abnormality or Master Warning. At or above V1, we'll take it in the air, memory items at 400 feet, Checklist at 1000. Flight control issues reguardless of speed, immediate abort."

(I'm not a Captain, but I've been piecing together briefings I hear from good Captains. Mine is still a rough draft. )

[Airdale]

Originally Posted by NJGov

Follow the regulations. V1 is not a decision speed. It is an action speed. Numerous studies have shown that it is safer to continue the takeoff rather than to abort.

I don't have the time to look up the FAA definition, but they define V1 as Takeoff decision speed. I do agree with you though, that it is an action speed. If a problem occured right at V1, by the time your brain processes it and you react, you're above V1. Therefore if I were faced with a go/no go decision, it would be made just a few knots prior to V1.

Again, not a Captain, but just something I am developing.

[jtrain609]

Originally Posted by Airdale

Sure about that? V1 is Take off decision speed. After V1, you're going, otherwise whats the point of having a V1 speed?


"Engine failure or abnormality, including red or yellow annunciators, prior to 80kts, we'll abort. Above 80, prior to V1, we'll abort for any Engine failure, abnormality or Master Warning. At or above V1, we'll take it in the air, memory items at 400 feet, Checklist at 1000. Flight control issues reguardless of speed, immediate abort."

(I'm not a Captain, but I've been piecing together briefings I hear from good Captains. Mine is still a rough draft. )

Do you not give a brief when it's your leg?

[Snuggle]

Originally Posted by jtrain609

Do you not give a brief when it's your leg?

I've flown with CA's who brief every leg even if I'm flying.
I've also flown with CA's where I brief my legs and they briefs theirs.

At my current base the CA's like to do all the briefings.

[Airdale]

Originally Posted by jtrain609

Do you not give a brief when it's your leg?

Haha...I'm lucky that some Captains actually let me land the plane and hold the controls until 80 knots. But brief my own take off??? I've done it maybe half a dozen times between 2 different Captains.

[fsiflyer]

I have also had an actual rejection prior to V1. It was very violent with an associated loss of directional control. When we lost the left mains, even though we were below V1 and regained directional control there was not enough runway to stop. We chose to put it into the grass to stop the plane vs. hitting the ILS antena. Be very careful with just saying the words in a lineup brief. The next takeoff roll may be an abort and you have to take the current situation in hand. Not all tire blows are the same. Ours was above 80kts but below V1. Had we decided to fly we would have been landing only on the right mains and the nose wheel. Damage would have been significant. In our case it was very minor because we decided NOT to fly even though we were above 80kts. Just my $.02.

[Seggy]

I make sure I say as part of my brief, '.....any other catastrophic failure deemed necessary by me.'

Just another way to cover your arse.

[Nick]

Originally Posted by Airdale

Haha...I'm lucky that some Captains actually let me land the plane and hold the controls until 80 knots. But brief my own take off??? I've done it maybe half a dozen times between 2 different Captains.

Originally Posted by Snuggle

I've flown with CA's who brief every leg even if I'm flying.
I've also flown with CA's where I brief my legs and they briefs theirs.

At my current base the CA's like to do all the briefings.

Wow. I did not realize there was such a cultural difference between the various regional airlines.