Incident Overview
On 29 September 2018, a Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated a flight departing from LTAI. After landing at Katowice (EPKT), maintenance personnel discovered severe damage to the No. 1 wheel tire of the left main landing gear. Subsequent inspection revealed additional damage to various airframe components, including both lower surface elements of the left inboard flap, the left main landing gear inner doors, the horizontal stabilizer leading edge, and three lower access panels on the left wing. The locations and nature of the airframe damage indicated a direct link to the tire damage.
Tire Examination
No tire debris was found on the maneuvering area at EPKT. The handling agent at the departure airport LTAI was notified and confirmed finding tire fragments on the runway, which were sent to Warsaw. A partial reconstruction of the tire was performed, showing that tire tread separation had occurred. Technical documentation indicated the tire had 145 cycles and six retreads. During inspection of the reconstructed tire, a notch was observed on one fragment (highlighted in red in the source diagram), which could have resulted from running over an object or impact with an aircraft component after separation.
Sequence of Events
It was determined that the tread separation happened shortly before or immediately after rotation from the runway at LTAI. Visual inspection and technical documentation analysis could not definitively establish the failure mechanism. The tire and separated pieces were forwarded to the wheel supplier for further investigation.
Findings and Actions
The investigating entity did not determine the cause of the incident. No preventive actions were formulated by the investigating entity, and no safety recommendations were issued by the commission. The incident resulted in no injuries among the 195 persons on board.