Sudden Flat Tire

Strange thing happened to me earlier this week (monday).
I flew from home base at KUGN to KDBQ with a friend
for a quick stop and then we were planning to fly up the Mississippi
to look for some fall colors.

Had a nice clear day with light winds. So we land at DBQ, I taxi over to the
FBO for a quick pit stop. Got back in the plane, got ATIS, contacted ground and
given taxi instruction to 36. So I'm # 2 in line, just finish mag check and
now I'm # 1. Start to move forward and seemed like the pedals were hare to
steer. I quickly think I got a flat nosewheel, and shut down the engine, worried
that I might strike the prop. Anyway, contact ground told them on problem and
plane behind me says yep it is flat.

FBO sends a truck to fill the tire, but the air rushed out almost as fast as it
entered. SO we now need a tow back to FBO. 2.5 hrs later I have new tire and
tube and we are off back to KUGN. Luckily I take the old tire & tube back.
Since the plane is owned by the club I'm a member in.

The general manager said I will be reimbursed for the repair, but was curious
about the flat. I was too since the tire looked to be relatively new.
In fact it was only replaced 2 weeks prior. The problem apparently was that
some of the steel cord must have popped up through the tires sidewall and
punctured the tub. If you rub your hand over the inside you can feel the steel
wire protruding through the sidewall.

Does this kind of thing happen frequently. Did I over react by shutting down
the engine, but I was really did not want to add a prop strike
to ruin my day?

Could side load or bad landings, bouncing on the nose cause such a failure?
My landing just prior to the this occurring was fine, mains first, then slowly
down on the nose. Just curious. Also, what would happen if the tire went flat
during flight? I guess I would know the minute the nose settled on the runway.
If that happened, all I could do is hold the nose off by pulling back on the yolk.

Kevin Kubiak PP-ASEL

I can't conceive of an operational situation that would cause a steel cord
to come adrift from inside the molded rubber. This wouldn't be an issue with
the tubeless tires on your car, but I'd hate to have it happen in the air
with an aviation tire -- bad news to land on a flat you didn't know about .
.. . . Sounds like a manufacturing defect to me. Someone should have a
heart-to-heart with the tire manufacturer.

Seth


"Kevin Kubiak" wrote in message
...
Strange thing happened to me earlier this week (monday).
I flew from home base at KUGN to KDBQ with a friend
for a quick stop and then we were planning to fly up the Mississippi
to look for some fall colors.

Had a nice clear day with light winds. So we land at DBQ, I taxi over to
the
FBO for a quick pit stop. Got back in the plane, got ATIS, contacted
ground and
given taxi instruction to 36. So I'm # 2 in line, just finish mag check
and
now I'm # 1. Start to move forward and seemed like the pedals were hare
to steer. I quickly think I got a flat nosewheel, and shut down the
engine, worried
that I might strike the prop. Anyway, contact ground told them on problem
and plane behind me says yep it is flat.

FBO sends a truck to fill the tire, but the air rushed out almost as fast
as it
entered. SO we now need a tow back to FBO. 2.5 hrs later I have new
tire and tube and we are off back to KUGN. Luckily I take the old tire &
tube back. Since the plane is owned by the club I'm a member in.

The general manager said I will be reimbursed for the repair, but was
curious about the flat. I was too since the tire looked to be relatively
new.
In fact it was only replaced 2 weeks prior. The problem apparently was
that
some of the steel cord must have popped up through the tires sidewall and
punctured the tub. If you rub your hand over the inside you can feel the
steel
wire protruding through the sidewall.

Does this kind of thing happen frequently. Did I over react by shutting
down the engine, but I was really did not want to add a prop strike
to ruin my day?

Could side load or bad landings, bouncing on the nose cause such a
failure?
My landing just prior to the this occurring was fine, mains first, then
slowly
down on the nose. Just curious. Also, what would happen if the tire went
flat
during flight? I guess I would know the minute the nose settled on the
runway.
If that happened, all I could do is hold the nose off by pulling back on
the yolk.

Kevin Kubiak PP-ASEL

"Kevin Kubiak" wrote in message
...
Strange thing happened to me earlier this week (monday).
I flew from home base at KUGN to KDBQ with a friend
for a quick stop and then we were planning to fly up the Mississippi
to look for some fall colors.

Had a nice clear day with light winds. So we land at DBQ, I taxi over to
the
FBO for a quick pit stop. Got back in the plane, got ATIS, contacted
ground and
given taxi instruction to 36. So I'm # 2 in line, just finish mag check
and
now I'm # 1. Start to move forward and seemed like the pedals were hare
to
steer. I quickly think I got a flat nosewheel, and shut down the engine,
worried
that I might strike the prop. Anyway, contact ground told them on problem
and
plane behind me says yep it is flat.

FBO sends a truck to fill the tire, but the air rushed out almost as fast
as it
entered. SO we now need a tow back to FBO. 2.5 hrs later I have new
tire and
tube and we are off back to KUGN. Luckily I take the old tire & tube
back.
Since the plane is owned by the club I'm a member in.

The general manager said I will be reimbursed for the repair, but was
curious
about the flat. I was too since the tire looked to be relatively new.
In fact it was only replaced 2 weeks prior. The problem apparently was
that
some of the steel cord must have popped up through the tires sidewall and
punctured the tub. If you rub your hand over the inside you can feel the
steel
wire protruding through the sidewall.

Does this kind of thing happen frequently. Did I over react by shutting
down
the engine, but I was really did not want to add a prop strike
to ruin my day?

Could side load or bad landings, bouncing on the nose cause such a
failure?
My landing just prior to the this occurring was fine, mains first, then
slowly
down on the nose. Just curious. Also, what would happen if the tire went
flat
during flight? I guess I would know the minute the nose settled on the
runway.
If that happened, all I could do is hold the nose off by pulling back on
the yolk.

Kevin Kubiak PP-ASEL

Tire wasn't made by firestone was it?

Steven Rhine
CP-ASEL-IA

NW_PILOT wrote:




Tire wasn't made by firestone was it?

Steven Rhine
CP-ASEL-IA


Don't really know. Funny now that you mention it
I had a problem with Firestone Tires on my
car 25 yrs ago. The same thing happened. The
steel belts shifted and started wearing through the sidewall.
I got lucky then too, because it was caught during
a routine oil change before I had a blowout.

Kevin Kubiak - PP-ASEL

Thats strange. My car has run flat tires (making blow-outs impossible).
Aren't the same available for planes?

Did I over react by shutting down the engine, but I was really
did not want to add a prop strike
to ruin my day?

You did not overreact at all. Something's amiss, you need to check it
out before flight. You're not going to get out of the plane to check it
with the engine running, are you?

The problem apparently was that
some of the steel cord must have popped up through the tires
sidewall and punctured the tub.

You were flying in a bathtub? I hope you didn't have water damage on
the floor.

Also, what would happen if the tire went flat
during flight? I guess I would know the minute the nose settled on the runway.
If that happened, all I could do is hold the nose off by pulling back on the yolk.

Yep. Easy over or you'll be scrambled.

Jose
--
Money: what you need when you run out of brains.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

"Kevin Kubiak" wrote in message
...
NW_PILOT wrote:




Tire wasn't made by firestone was it?

Steven Rhine
CP-ASEL-IA


Don't really know. Funny now that you mention it
I had a problem with Firestone Tires on my
car 25 yrs ago. The same thing happened. The
steel belts shifted and started wearing through the sidewall.
I got lucky then too, because it was caught during
a routine oil change before I had a blowout.

Kevin Kubiak - PP-ASEL

That was meant to me a funny as for all the Firestone tire recalls!

"Kevin Kubiak" wrote in message
...
[...]
Does this kind of thing happen frequently. Did I over react by shutting
down the engine, but I was really did not want to add a prop strike
to ruin my day?

Personally, I think it's a great idea to shut down the engine before doing
any service on the nosewheel.

Seriously though, in this situation, obviously if the prop hadn't hit yet,
it wasn't going to.

In any case, I agree that you're probably dealing with a manufacturing
defect. Tires should be able to take LOTS of abuse, and a botched landing
that actually damages a tire would damage plenty else on the airplane as
well.

You did the right thing, you got it fixed, AND you've got an FBO who handles
off-site repair reimbursement properly. What more could you ask?

(I'll skip the egg joke, since Jose already got that one... ).

Pete

On Thu, 13 Oct 2005 12:54:18 -0500, Kevin Kubiak
wrote:

The general manager said I will be reimbursed for the repair, but was curious
about the flat. I was too since the tire looked to be relatively new.
In fact it was only replaced 2 weeks prior. The problem apparently was that
some of the steel cord must have popped up through the tires sidewall and
punctured the tub. If you rub your hand over the inside you can feel the steel
wire protruding through the sidewall.

I didn't know anyone made steel cord tires for aircraft, at least not
for aircraft that I'm likely to fly. All the tires I've seen are nylon
bias-ply tires. The only steel is the tire bead.

Could the steel cord be foreign object damage? In that case, lucky you
picked it up in the tire and not in the prop.

RK Henry

"Kevin Kubiak" wrote:

FBO sends a truck to fill the tire, but the air rushed out almost as fast
as it
entered.

You would've taken off if it had held air?