History
On 08 March 1994, at 0625 mountain standard time, Advance Air Charter flight ADV200, a Douglas DC-8-62F combination passenger/freight aircraft, prepared to depart from Calgary International Airport, Alberta, on a charter flight to Murmansk, Russia. The aircraft carried 8 crew and 75 passengers, with 5 pallets of freight in the forward cargo bay.
During taxi on taxiway Charlie, the flight crew heard a thump, which they attributed to an oleo bottoming. Passengers and flight attendants heard a bang. The purser called the flight engineer (FE) about the noise but received a humorous response; the call was not discussed with other crew members. On the ground, company personnel heard two loud booms.
The aircraft stopped on runway 34 for take-off clearance. When the captain advanced power levers, the FE noted slow increase in No. 1 engine pressure ratio (EPR). During acceleration, a vibration felt as nose wheel shimmy. The No. 1 engine (Pratt & Whitney JT3D-3B) indicated about 1.80 EPR versus the calculated 1.98. At 80 knots, the FE advised low EPR; the captain continued. At about 100 knots, No. 1 engine N1 decayed from 103 to 98 per cent. As speed approached 130 knots, the first officer advised against rejecting take-off. The aircraft passed V1 (147 knots) and rotated at VR (162 knots). A vibration was felt in the cabin during take-off roll.
After climb-out, air traffic control advised that rubber debris was found on the runway. The company loadmaster informed the flight crew that he believed main wheel tires had failed on the left side. The captain elected to dump 112,000 pounds of fuel and conduct an emergency landing at Calgary International Airport. The aircraft touched down smoothly on runway 16, and taxied to a holding bay. All 83 persons on board deplaned without injury.
Investigation Findings
The Board determined that the No. 2 tire deflated while taxiing due to a wheel rim separation caused by an undetected fatigue crack. The No. 5 tire was punctured by a broken section of the No. 2 wheel rim. As a result of ineffective communications, the crew continued the take-off with two failed tires on the left side. Contributing to the ineffective crew communications was the lack of crew resource management training provided by the operator.
Damage
The No. 2 and 5 tires were shredded during take-off and landing. Flailing tire cords damaged the forward anti-skid wiring harness during landing. Minor damage occurred to the undersurface of the left flap, landing gear door, lower wing skin, and brake packs on the No. 1 and 2 wheels.