Blown Tire on Landing

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RoundDials

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RoundDials
So today when I landed the 172, I lost the left main tire.

To get this out of the way, no one was hurt. I handled it well according to those who came to the rescue. Stayed on the runway, facing basically straight down.

But what's driving me crazy is: how did it blow? The approach and landing were--by most accounts--fine. I was a bit slow about 2 miles out, added a good amount of power (more than usual) just to make sure I didn't stall, and touched down with the stall warning relatively smoothly. And then I lost control. Honestly, wasn't worried at all. Having an emergency on the ground...that's the best kind. And such a minor one at that.

Is there any explanation to why this occurred besides a bad landing? The tires were in good condition, so I don't know what could have happened. Luckily, everyone was so kind about it. And the airplane was ready to go again in a couple hours.
 
Low air pressure?

You might get more information from the condition of the tire, unless it's totally shredded.

Don't discount FOD on the runway. It's more common than people like to think.
 
Feet were not on the brakes. I mean, in all of my training, all of the cross countries, all of the flights I've had which all culminate with landings, I have not blown a tire.

I'm just afraid the next time I go up, it's going to happen again...;)
 
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RoundDials said:
Stayed on the runway, facing basically straight down.
. . .
And the airplane was ready to go again in a couple hours.
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I assume you must have meant "facing basically straight ahead" then. When I first saw "facing basically straight down," I was imagining the plane resting on its nose :hairraise:
 
mcmanigle said:
I assume you must have meant "facing basically straight ahead" then. When I first saw "facing basically straight down," I was imagining the plane resting on its nose :hairraise:
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Perhaps straight down the runway is an idiom? Regardless, hah! I'd probably quit flying if that happened.
 
Normally you're going to bend something before you blow a tire landing a 172. Did the airplane immediately lose control when you set it on the mains (i.e. tire already flat), or was it some time after you touched down?
 
Three ways to blow a tire..l

1. side loading pulls tire bead of the rim or shears the valve stem (more likely if low tire pressure)
2. hard landing takes worn or cracked tire to its limit
3. picked up crap off the runway or taxiway
 
Sac Arrow said:
Normally you're going to bend something before you blow a tire landing a 172. Did the airplane immediately lose control when you set it on the mains (i.e. tire already flat), or was it some time after you touched down?
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Hard to tell. Probably lost control later rather than sooner. I kept it on the runway, etc.

I'm glad it seems these things happen. Don't want the FBO to be worried next time I rent.
 
All the things CTLSi said. My best guess would be a dry rotted tire or one that a previous student flat spotted and you happen to land on the flat spot of the tire.
 
Ever had a flat tire in a car. $h!t happens.
 
Another possibility is that the tire lost pressure in flight and you landed with an empty tube.
It happens more than you think.
No need to beat yourself up, though it is good that you are thinking of the possible causes and how to prevent them (I assume). You did a good job handling the problem and saved the airplane and occupants. Mission accomplished.
 
I blew the nose wheel tire with my instructor right-seat during primary training. The landing was normal. When the guys in the truck (who are charged with driving the runway looking for FOD) came to give us a ride back to the FBO, she wondered aloud if it was FOD. The guy seemed a touch offended and said I probably used too much nose-wheel braking...in the 172. :lol:

I still don't know why it happened. Just dumb luck, probably the same as you.
 
RoundDials said:
...Don't want the FBO to be worried next time I rent.
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I wouldn't worry about that. In my year working at the FBO, we only had one blown tire on our T182T, which we knew was the pilot's fault of locking up the brakes; A witness heard the screeching and there were 100' long black marks on the runway. After that we put a new tire on and had him go do a couple bounces with an instructor. He paid for the tire along with the rental and it was all over and done.
 
BigBadLou said:
Another possibility is that the tire lost pressure in flight and you landed with an empty tube.
It happens more than you think.
No need to beat yourself up, though it is good that you are thinking of the possible causes and how to prevent them (I assume). You did a good job handling the problem and saved the airplane and occupants. Mission accomplished.
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Yeah--exactly. To prevent it from happening again. But you all make good points, and a great learning experience! Now I know what causes this, etc. I doubt that I had my foot on the brake. Why start now after all that flying prior?

So great explanation, guys!
 
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BigBadLou said:
Another possibility is that the tire lost pressure in flight and you landed with an empty tube.
It happens more than you think.
No need to beat yourself up, though it is good that you are thinking of the possible causes and how to prevent them (I assume). You did a good job handling the problem and saved the airplane and occupants. Mission accomplished.
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A couple of years ago, that happened to me. I went to an airport for avionics service about 20 minutes away. When I left, all was good... But, when I landed 20 minutes later, the nose tire was flat. This tire and tube had probably less than 60 hours on it. I immediately thought I had picked up some FOD on taxi or takeoff. But, after inspection, we found the side of the tube had developed a pin-hole and there was no evidence of anything puncturing the tire. Just a little abrasion...
 
You did a good job handling the problem. Can't worry about every little thing that can happen. Glad that you where prepared. Good job
 
Its possible the tube was pinched while taxing and it was flat when you landed. I had this happen to me in a 182 once....tire was in perfect shape and pressure on the ground...flew ~1.5 hrs and landed with it already flat as it leaked all the air out during the flight.
 
I see a lot of planes come into Ron's shop with wheel pants and the tires are way low.

I think a lot of guys don't want to put the effort into checking them. Especially if they don't have the little trap door to check easily.

Other than that, **** happens like another member said. If they were brand new tires, I'd suspect they pinched the tube on assembly.:dunno:
 
If you were carrying several kilos of cocaine, it's possible the cops were waiting for you and threw out spike strips. I mean, you can't rule that one out.
:rofl:
 
All sorts of reasons tubes blow, usually you can figure it out on inspection. Unfortunately it often comes up as "Wow, this tube is just a POS." Low tire pressure is probably the biggest reason for premature failure I've seen though, it usually causes the valve stem to wear on the wheel at the hole.
 
lr60plt said:
Its possible the tube was pinched while taxing and it was flat when you landed. I had this happen to me in a 182 once....tire was in perfect shape and pressure on the ground...flew ~1.5 hrs and landed with it already flat as it leaked all the air out during the flight.
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Been there, done that. Landed with a flat nose wheel in a Duchess at MYF one night coming back from PHX. Beautiful landing too. Touched on the mains and held the nose off. Really was a greaser, but as soon as the nose touched, all hell broke loose. I was able to exit the runway and then I shut down and called for a tow. I know the tire was good on the preflight at PHX.
 
I had a flat on landing with a 172 once. Post-mortem showed the new tube, installed the day before, was pinched.
 
I had a tire rim fail one day on landing - large "bite" out of one side of the inner tire rim on one of the mains. No cracking was noted before the flight. Tire bulged inward and shredded itself on the brake.

Looking at the rim afterward, there was nothing to indicate the impending failure - while I'm not a metal specialist, I did not a "crystalline" roughness where the piece broke off - it was not a smooth crack.

Stuff happens.
 
How was the tire pressure? Too low and the tube can end up moving in the tire at touchdown causing the valve stem to shear off.

You need to pull the tire and tube and inspect them closely to determine what failed. It's also possible there was a little FOD between the tire and tube that wore through the tube.

Tubed tires really suck. The main reason it failed is because they fail so easily, hence why they are used so little these days in modern applications.
 
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