Tire Failure on Takeoff - 747

C

ComplexHiAv8r

Well-Known Member
On takeoff roll you loose 2 tires on the mains, there is time to abort do you:

1. Abort
2. Continue takeoff and worry about landing 8 hrs later
 
I'm sure there's a procedure for it...but I'd bet it's something along the lines of: continue the takeoff, leave the gear down, notify ATC, then come back around and land.

You don't want to mess with a high speed abort unless the airplane simply won't fly anyways.

I'm wondering if you'd even notice the tire failures if they weren't on the same truck.
 
I can tell you that sitting in the cabin you heard them, along with what happened next.....rest of the story after some others give their thoughts.
 
It just Depends.

What speed did it happen at? A low speed reject for blown tires may be acceptable but aborting at high speed could cause more damage than continuing the take off. Not being privied to the dynamics in the cockpit at the time I would assume lacking a directional control problem the flight crew continued with the take off.

BTW How did you know it was two tires?

Jim
 
I was on the aircraft, and my father was a mechanic working at the time. The 2 tires was the determination of the pilots after the fact.

Should a clue be given that it was the reef runway at HNL. They filled in a reef and put a runway on it. Water both ends of runway, both sides as well, except for taxiways.
 
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Should a clue be given that it was the reef runway at HNL. They filled in a reef and put a runway on it. Water both ends of runway, both sides as well, except for taxiways.

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I took off from that runway about a month ago....nice view at least.
 
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Should a clue be given that it was the reef runway at HNL. They filled in a reef and put a runway on it. Water both ends of runway, both sides as well, except for taxiways.

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I took off from that runway about a month ago....nice view at least.

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I used to swim and water ski next to that runway and taxiway to the runway. It was located right next to the beach at Hickham Air Force Base. Great Golf Course too.
 
When they first did the reef runway they used coral as a filler for the runway, and a problem developed on aircraft landing (e.g. tire failures). After a few years only departures from the runway, they resurfaced it.

On a takeoff roll a UAL 747 lost 2 tires, they decided to abort the takeoff and in the process of trying to stop a full aircraft for a 8 hr flight to ORD another 10 tires were lost in getting the plane to stop. Alot of noise from brakes, reversers, and the tires. The aircraft passed the end taxiway before coming to a stop. After about 20 mins they brought busses and stairs to allow us to deplane.

My father (UAL mechanic) met the bus upon return to the terminal and got me upstairs the the next ORD flight. Being non-rev, if I didn't get on it I would most likely not get out for a day or so. I made the flight, although my luggage was almost a week behind me.

Sad the think this wasn't my worse non-rev experience.
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Well, since it was Hawaii I'd definately abort. Why wouldn't you want to spend more time there ;-)

In reality, given the facts above I'd probably keep it goin. Keep in mind that with 2 less tires your breaking wont be at 100% either and you really dont want to put a 747 in the drink.

but as it was said above, I'm sure UAL has a way to deal with it depending on the circumstances.
 
If it was two tires, I'd continue. Go in the air, leave the gear down, sort it out, and come in to land. You do have like 20 tires on that thing.

I'm heading to HNL in about 12 hours!!!
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I'd say it depends on the speed. I wouldn't definately go if I was accelerating through 45 knots. 100 knots is my general rule for tire abort/go, dependent on the other factors of course.

But then again, I also have a drag chute and an arrestor hook........
 
At the airport I fly out of we had a Beechjet blow out a tire right as it was rotating. If the pilot had continued the takeoff and tried to land again he probably would of collapsed what was left of the gear and ended up crashing the airplane. Luckilly he didn't, he aborted the takeoff and taxiied back to the ramp with a landing gear strut where a tire used to be (left a pretty big gash in the tarmac too).

I'd abort the takeoff. You don't know what the gear's going to do if you try to land. Plus you don't know if it was only two tires. As far as you know you lost all of your mains. Probably not a good idea to takeoff if you don't know that you can get back down again.
 
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At the airport I fly out of we had a Beechjet blow out a tire right as it was rotating. If the pilot had continued the takeoff and tried to land again he probably would of collapsed what was left of the gear and ended up crashing the airplane. Luckilly he didn't, he aborted the takeoff and taxiied back to the ramp with a landing gear strut where a tire used to be (left a pretty big gash in the tarmac too).

I'd abort the takeoff. You don't know what the gear's going to do if you try to land. Plus you don't know if it was only two tires. As far as you know you lost all of your mains. Probably not a good idea to takeoff if you don't know that you can get back down again.

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As it was rotating? That means it was past V1 and the pilot committed a serious no-no. Anything goes wrong when I'm rotating and we're going flying.
 
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As it was rotating? That means it was past V1 and the pilot committed a serious no-no. Anything goes wrong when I'm rotating and we're going flying.

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If you saw what was left of the gear after the tire blew I don't think you'd want to be flying on it. Granted, if you're past V1 you should probably continue the takeoff, but I think the pilot made the right call. Either way nobody got hurt so it worked out in the end.

Forgot to mention, this airport has 12,000+ feet of runway. Plenty of room to stop, especially with that kind of braking action.
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I'd abort the takeoff. You don't know what the gear's going to do if you try to land. Plus you don't know if it was only two tires. As far as you know you lost all of your mains. Probably not a good idea to takeoff if you don't know that you can get back down again.

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Again, it depends. It always depends. No hard answers on this one.

I guarantee that.
 
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If you saw what was left of the gear after the tire blew I don't think you'd want to be flying on it. Granted, if you're past V1 you should probably continue the takeoff, but I think the pilot made the right call. Either way nobody got hurt so it worked out in the end.

Forgot to mention, this airport has 12,000+ feet of runway. Plenty of room to stop, especially with that kind of braking action.
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That's' not how V1 works. The only thing that should stop a pilot from continuing the takeoff after V1 is if something renders it impossible to fly, such as all engines failing, or a wing falling off. If I'm past V1 and the fire bell starts ringing and a fire light pops on bright as Christmas in front of me, we're going flying.

Besides, if I had a blown tire, I'd rather come around and land with 12,000 feet of runway infront of me than suddenly abort my takeoff with only part of that runway infront of me.
 
If a tire blew at V1, it's actually markedly more dangerous to abort than it is to continue the takeoff, get a box pattern, work on a plan and land.

Blowing a tire doesn't render a aircraft unflyable near V1. But a botched high speed abort has severe consequences!
 
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