This is an excerpt from a report made to the Aviation Safety Reporting System. The narrative is written by the pilot, rather than FAA or NTSB officials. To maintain anonymity, many details, such as aircraft model or airport, are often scrubbed from the reports.
Blown tire on landing. The temperature was over 110°F, and on landing, after braking, the left main gear tire deflated.
Inspection of the wheel and tire leads me to believe that I had just locked up the wheel inadvertently.
It is characteristic of the brakes on this aerobatic airplane that they are not very effective, as the plane was designed to be operated from grass strips, at least so I have been told by pilots where the airplane is very popular. It takes great foot-pedal effort to get the wheels to lock.
I had been suffering pain in my left foot, not severe, but noticeable. Because of this I probably pushed harder than I normally would.
I did not consider myself unsafe to fly, and indeed I had just conducted a fly-over under trying conditions: Extreme high temperatures, turbulence, traffic from other participants in the fly-over.
But perhaps I should not have flown that mission, knowing I was not perfect. I will be more perspicacious if the situation ever comes up again.
Fortunately, the only damage was to the blown tire. I think the heat had something to do with the incident — the very next plane to land, a twin jet, also blew a tire.
Primary Problem: Ambiguous
ACN: 2142505
When you click on the link it will take you to the ASRS Online Database. Click on Report Number and put the ACN in the search box, then click Search. On that page, click on “view only the 1 most recent report.”
C’mon now, gang…no need to get snarky!
Let’s be kind: There is always something useful to take away from these ASRS scenarios.
After all, he/she did use the word “perspicacious” in a sentence. I had to look it up, so…another new word added to my own lexicon.
I am also curious as to what ‘aerobatic’ plane was designed with brakes so poor, that it was intended to operate solely from grass airstrips? Must be something with a tail skid?
Would also like to know what “twin jet” blew a tire landing on the grass as well. (I’m assuming it wasn’t a Pilatus PC-24…that’d be really bad optics!)
Anyway…let’s hope the pilot didn’t fly again until after seeing a podiatrist.
I’m curious as to the make & model of the airplane.
Why even publish this “report”, with so little information actually reported?
As a flight instructor, mechanic, and aircraft owner I am always sensitive to the care of the tires. I’ve replaced tires of aircraft that blew on landing. Many had “flat spots” all the way to the air. I drilled into my students the need to have heels on the floor. The point is to make brake applications require a conscious action. Still, this didn’t prevent a multi student from flat spotting my brand new C-310 tire.
Next they’ll report that a pilot had to land because of a splinter in his finger.
Was he sure there wasn’t a tire biting dog on the loose chasing airplanes?
Perspicacious, hmmm. Frasier Crane, is that you?
Seems kind of useless to file a report for a flat tire. And a wasted filler to post it here without even identifying the type of aircraft. Surely you can find something more interesting in the NTSB reports?
110 degrees? Why?