SMA SUSPECTS BLOWN TIRE. EMER LNDG.

Narrative

WHILE ON THE TKOF ROLL AT CHATHAM; MY ACFT SLUED SHARPLY TO THE L AT ROTATION (JUST PRIOR). DUE TO THE NARROW RWY AND SUFFICIENT AIRSPD; I CONTINUED MY TKOF. ON CLBOUT I REASONED THAT I MIGHT HAVE TAXIED OVER A SHARP OBJECT AND THE TKOF ROLL FORCED THE TIRE TO DEFLATE. I NOTIFIED FLT SVC AND PROCEEDED TOWARDS HANSCOM FIELD. THIS WAS MY CHOICE BECAUSE HANSOM IS MY HOME BASE; HAS ADEQUATE MAINT FACILITIES; HAS A LONG; WIDE RWY; AND HAS EXCELLENT CRASH RESCUE FACILITIES. UPON REACHING HANSCOM; I CANCELED MY FLT PLAN AND ADVISED THE TWR THAT I SUSPECTED A FLAT L TIRE. (THE WHEEL PART PREVENTED ME FROM VIEWING THE TIRE.) I ADVISED THE TWR THAT THE EMER EQUIP WAS AT THEIR DISCRETION AS I WOULD BE MAKING A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG. WHILE ARFF POSITIONED; THE TWR OFFERED A FLY-BY TO THE L OF RWY 29. I DID THIS AT 500 FT AGL. THE TWR OBSERVED NOTHING ABNORMAL SO I OPTED TO LAND. APCH WAS NORMAL AND THE LNDG WAS SUCCESSFUL. THE MAINT CHIEF OF THE FBO EXAMINED THE PLANE AT THE RAMP. A CURSORY EXAMINATION REVEALED NO OBVIOUS DISCREPANCIES. THE INCIDENT WAS SUCCESSFULLY CONCLUDED AFTER I TELEPHONED THE TWR AT THEIR REQUEST. ALTHOUGH THE SUSPECTED FLAT DID NOT APPEAR; THE GRASS PARKING AREA AND SUBSEQUENT TAXI GAVE ME REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THE UNCOMMANDED LURCH ON TKOF WAS DUE TO A DAMAGED L MAIN TIRE AT CHATHAM. I FEEL THAT I REACTED APPROPRIATELY DUE TO THE RISK OF A COMPROMISED LNDG GEAR. MY REQUEST FOR A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG REFLECTED THE RELATIVE URGENCY OF THE SIT. HANSCOM AFB FIRE DEPT SHOULD BE COMMENDED FOR THEIR PROMPT RESPONSE TO A SUSPECTED DIFFICULTY. (FIRE DEPT DEPLOYMENT WAS MADE AT THE REQUEST OF THE TWR; ALTHOUGH I DID NOT OBJECT.)