What happened
During the takeoff ground roll, as the aircraft approached V1/VR speeds, the captain reported hearing a loud bang followed by airframe vibrations. A second loud bang occurred, prompting the captain to abort the takeoff. After the aircraft came to a stop on a taxiway, the occupants evacuated.
A fire was observed involving the right wheels and the wheel well area. The airport fire department responded to the scene and successfully extinguished the flames. All occupants were not injured.
The investigation
Post-incident inspections revealed that both right main gear tires had blown out during the takeoff roll. The fire, which originated in the wheel well, spread into the left wing root area.
An FAA inspector determined that the failure caused hydraulic and fuel lines routed through the right wheel well to be severed. Additionally, the fuselage fuel tank was found to have been punctured. The aircraft's hydraulic system utilized MIL 5606 fluid. Investigators noted that the initial tire failure occurred on a section of the runway near an area of ongoing construction on the airport taxiways. Debris from the runway had been cleared by airport personnel before FAA inspectors could examine it.