Sudden Flat Tire

Actually what is more common with low tire pressure is that on landing the
rubber tire "slips" on the rim during spin up.. putting pressure on the
valve stem and cutting it or wearing a hole near the valve stem.
BT


According to the CFI, land a bit cockeyed with tire pressures that low
and you could easily blow out a tire.

I can believe that the tire would separate from the rim, allowing the tire
pressure to be completely relieved. Technically, that would be a "blow
out" IMHO, but it's not the same as a failure of the actual tire material.

Pete

"BTIZ" wrote in message
news:MfG3f.5812$MN6.547@fed1read04...
Actually what is more common with low tire pressure is that on landing the
rubber tire "slips" on the rim during spin up.. putting pressure on the
valve stem and cutting it or wearing a hole near the valve stem.
BT

That has been a problem with tube type tires since the days of the Model T.
It is mostly forgotten nowadays.

"Skylune" wrote in message
lkaboutaviation.com...
..still amazed that my car has run flat tires, but planes don't. More
60's technology flying around. Astonishing.


What's the speed rating on your run-flat car tires? How often do they need
to go from a dead stop instantly to 60 mph or higher? Do you have any idea
what it takes to get a new aircraft product certified in terms of money and
time?

On Thu, 13 Oct 2005 16:14:12 -0400, wrote:

The instructor had a pressure guage with him and admonished
me to keep one with me at all times myself.

I have a bicycle pump with a gauge on it in the cargo part of my plane. I
fly to some airports that are unattended and while there may be a self
serve fuel pump, air is not an option.

I check the pressure once a week on my plane. Not unusual to lose 2 pounds
or so in an extended period of idle time, and the bicycle pump takes less
then 15 seconds to get the tire back up to speed.

Allen

Dan Luke wrote:

"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?


I didn't say or imply I would have taken off if it held air. I would have
taxied back to the FBO to have it checked out and saved the extra towing charge
however and the tie up of the far end of the runway. DBQ was pretty busy at the
time.

Kevin Kubiak PP-ASEL

On Thu, 13 Oct 2005 16:21:20 -0700, "Peter Duniho"
wrote:

wrote in message
.. .
I can. I was an auto mechanic for 9 years. Tires that had steel
reinforced tread could and did expose them if the tires were run at
low pressure for too long. Happened all the time. Don't see why
airplane tires wouldn't become damaged in the same manner if run with
low pressure.

One main reason might be the duration of operation required to cause a
problem. Airplane tires do warm up, but not nearly to the extent that an
automobile tire would. They simply aren't used for the distances and speeds
that an auto tire experiences. The heat that is the cause of failure at low
tire pressures is much less likely to become a factor for an airplane tire
than for auto tires.

You are coming up with reasonable conjectures as to why steel threads
might not work through the sidewall. The problem is the threads DID
work their way through the sidewall.

Rolling them at low pressure would flex the sidewalls more than they
are designed for.

Corky Scott

Kevin Kubiak wrote:
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 had the misfortune of having 2 (separate) in-flight flats. The first
was the right main. In pre-flight i saw it was low and added air. After
a 45 min. flight as soon as I touched down the plane pulled hard right
with a pile of vibration. Threw down the right aileron and held it for
the rest of the ride & used all the left brake i had to keep it on the
runway. Tire shredded- wheel "phew" was fine. April 15th,2002 I had just
failed my ppl checkride on lost procedures 2 hours prior. Baaaad day.

The second time was the nosewheel. In pre-flight i told my the co-owner
"I'm going to get us a new tire for that nose, it's starting to look
barefoot". We took off and in the pattern heard a strange noise
"vibration" & decided to land. As soon as the nose touched violent
vibration- pulled all the way back on the yoke - no brakes & rode it
out.tire shredded, again no prop strike or wheel damage. those were in a
warrior. we now have a Cherokee six with new rubber all the way around -
imagine why?
btw -i'm pretty good at changing tires.

wrote in message
...
You are coming up with reasonable conjectures as to why steel threads
might not work through the sidewall. The problem is the threads DID
work their way through the sidewall.

My point is simply that absent a manufacturing defect, the usual mode of
failure due to low tire pressure doesn't apply.

Rolling them at low pressure would flex the sidewalls more than they
are designed for.

But assuming no manufacturing defect, would not result in tire failure.

Pete