AN ATX SMT BLEW A TIRE ON TKOF.

Narrative

ON JUN/FRI/93 AT APPROX XA00 LCL; I STARTED TO DEPART MAF ON A SCHEDULED CARGO CHARTER ON 16R AT TXWY MIKE. JUST AS I REACHED ROTATION SPD; AND HAD COMMITTED TO TKOF; A SHIMMY THAT SEEMED LIKE A NOSEWHEEL SHIMMY BEGAN. DURING GEAR RETRACTION; THIS CONTINUED AS A BUFFET. AS I SCANNED THE ACFT TO LOCATE THE SOURCE OF THE VIBRATIONS; I NOTICED THE L OIL INSPECTION DOOR OPEN. WHEN I REQUESTED CLRNC TO RETURN AND LAND; I BELIEVE I MISTAKENLY SAID THAT THE FUEL CAP WAS OPEN INSTEAD. I ASKED FOR NO PRIORITY AND RECEIVED NONE; FOLLOWING AN SMT ON APCH. UPON TOUCHDOWN; THE ACFT IMMEDIATELY PULLED L; AND THE SHIMMY IMMEDIATELY RESUMED. THE ACFT CAME TO REST WITH APPROX 4700 FT OF RWY REMAINING; 1000 FT FROM THE NEAREST EXIT. AFTER EXAMINING THE TIRE; I DECIDED IT UNWISE TO MOVE THE ACFT WITHOUT ASSISTANCE; SINCE THE TIRE WAS NO LONGER SEATED ON THE RIM PROPERLY. THE MECH WHO REPLACED THE TIRE NOTED NO UNUSUAL WEAR ON THE TIRE; WHICH HAD BEEN REPLACED RECENTLY; AND THAT THE ONLY DAMAGE WAS FROM THE RIM ROLLING ON THE TIRE. HE ALSO NOTED THAT A PIECE OF TUBE WAS PINCHED BTWN THE RIM HALVES AND THEORIZED THAT THIS WAS A POSSIBLE CAUSE OF THE FLAT TIRE. THE CONCLUSION THAT I REACHED AS I LOOKED AT THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS ARE THAT THE 'SHIMMY' NOTED NEAR ROTATION SPD WAS THE TIRE GOING FLAT. THE 'BUFFET' WAS THE NOW MIS-SHAPEN UNBALANCED TIRE SPINNING DOWN AS IT RETRACTED AND THAT THE TIRE; UNKNOWN TO ME; WAS FLAT PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN.