What happened
During the takeoff roll of the aircraft, a blowout occurred involving the number 4 tire. Following the incident, the crew returned the airplane to the departure airport, where it landed without further incident.
The investigation
An examination of the failed tire showed damage to the inner liner that was consistent with under inflation. While the operator's maintenance program requires tire pressures to be verified with a gauge during layover service inspections, records showed that an inspection had been performed the previous day.
Further review of the recap records for the tire indicated that the component had been recapped and delivered to the operator with a pin hole in the liner. This pin hole allowed for a slow leak to develop, and the defect was not repaired before the tire was delivered to the operator.