Incident Overview
During the takeoff roll, a blowout occurred to the No. 4 tire. The flight crew returned the airplane to the departure airport, where it landed uneventfully. No further flight was attempted.
Tire Examination Findings
Post-incident examination of the affected tire revealed damage to the inner liner. The damage pattern was consistent with underinflation. The tire had been in service under the operator's maintenance program.
Maintenance and Inspection Records
The operator's maintenance program requires tire pressures to be checked with a gauge during layover service inspections. According to maintenance records, the required inspection had been performed the previous day. No discrepancy was noted at that time.
Recapping History
Records for the tire indicated that it had been recapped and subsequently delivered to the operator with a pinhole in the liner. The pinhole allowed a slow leak. The pinhole was not repaired prior to delivery to the operator.
Summary
The blowout occurred due to underinflation, which stemmed from a slow leak through an unrepaired pinhole in the tire's liner that was present when the recapped tire was delivered to the operator. Despite the required pressure check having been conducted the previous day, the leak resulted in low pressure during the takeoff roll.