What happened
During the takeoff roll, as the aircraft reached a speed of 65 knots, the pilot initiated rotation. At this moment, a loud bang was heard and the pilot experienced a severe left pull. In an attempt to correct the leftward drift, the pilot applied right rudder and braking. Despite these efforts, the airplane departed the runway, traveled across a grassy area, and crossed an asphalt taxiway before coming to a stop in an upright position. There were no injuries reported.
The investigation
Investigators noted that a 100-hour inspection had been performed on the aircraft shortly before this flight. Upon examination of the left main wheel, a 6-inch section of the inner wheel rim was found to be missing. A separate 2-inch piece of the inner wheel was located approximately 565 feet from the approach end of the runway.
Microscopic analysis of the failed component showed no clear evidence of fatigue. Instead, the examination indicated that the fracture occurred due to overstress separation.