CRJ-900 Tire Burst Incident in Tallinn (ES-ACC)

Incident Overview and Immediate Response On 14 August 2014 at 15:41, a CRJ-900 with registration ES-ACC departed from Tallinn. After takeoff, the flight crew reported a weak vibration and unusual noise. Minutes later, air traffic control informed the crew that numerous tire fragments were found on the runway during inspection. The crew decided to return to Tallinn. During a low pass, the burst tire on the inner wheel of the left main landing gear was visually confirmed. After burning off fuel, the aircraft landed without further incident. ## Investigation Findings The Safety Investigation Centre (OJK) classified the event as an incident and did not open a formal investigation. During the information-gathering phase, OJK determined the following: - The flight crew held all required licenses and qualifications for the flight. - The aircraft was airworthy and properly maintained. - The crew's actions during the incident complied with OM-B 2.5.5 and the Quick Reference Handbook (QRH) recommendations and requirements. - The aircraft's permitted landing mass with the burst tire was equal to the normal maximum landing mass of 33,339 kg. - Tire fragments released during the burst damaged (deformed) the cover of the left rear fairing, partially one rib on the left side of the wing, and several blades of the left engine fan. - The burst tire held an EASA certificate (European Aviation Safety Agency, Authorised Release Certificate, Form 1) and had been repaired for the third time at a certified facility. The tire conformed to the model approved by the aircraft manufacturer and was installed by a certified maintenance organization. - The tire pressure was last checked on 13 August 2014, the previous day, 11 flight cycles before the incident. A visual tire inspection is performed before every flight. - The condition of the burst tire did not allow for the identification of previous damage or deviations from the repair technology. - A runway inspection did not identify any objects that could have caused the tire burst. - A tire on the same position (wheel) of the same aircraft had also burst on 30 June 2014, 45 days earlier. - Because a brake system fault can be a cause of tire bursts at the same position, a two-month monitoring of the brake system and tire condition was initiated with daily data analysis. The monitoring did not identify any deviations in the brake system's operation. - Despite the fact that the use of retreaded tires is a generally common practice in aviation, the aircraft operator decided to discontinue the use of retreaded tires after the incident.