ACFT EQUIP PROB - AFTER TKOF THE FLC DETERMINED THAT A NOSE GEAR TIRE HAD LOST SOME OF ITS CAP. THE ACR CONTINUED TO ITS DEST AND MADE A SUCCESSFUL LNDG; BUT THE REST OF THAT TIRE'S CAP DEPARTED. THE TIRE STAYED INFLATED.

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ON TKOF FROM BWI ON SCHEDULED FLT TO IND; A MODERATE NOSEWHEEL SHIMMY DEVELOPED RIGHT AFTER ROTATION. ALL OTHER INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL; SO GEAR WAS RETRACTED. AS NOSE GEAR RETRACTED INTO NOSEWHEEL WELL; A THUMPING NOISE WAS HEARD AS NOSE TIRES CONTACTED SCRUBBERS. FO WAS FLYING; SO I INSTRUCTED HIM TO CONTINUE FLYING AND HANDLE ATC COMS; WHILE I TALKED TO BWI TWR. INITIAL RPT FROM BWI TWR INDICATED NO TIRE DEBRIS; SO I WENT BACK TO HANDLE COM ON BWI DEP. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; BWI DEP INFORMED US THAT TIRE DEBRIS WAS INDEED FOUND ON THE DEP RWY. ONCE AGAIN; FO FLEW THE ACFT AND HANDLED ATC COM; WHILE I ESTABLISHED A PHONE PATCH TO DEP AND COMPANY MAINT TECHNICAL CTR. ALL OPTIONS WERE DISCUSSED AND CONSENSUS WAS REACHED TO CONTINUE TO IND; TO BURN DOWN FUEL. IND WX WAS VFR WITH LIGHT WINDS; LONG RWYS; ETC. JUST PRIOR TO REACHING IND APCH CTL AIRSPACE; WE DECLARED AN EMER SO AS TO HAVE CFR STANDING BY IN IND. CABIN CREW BRIEFED PAX FOR EMER LNDG AND POSSIBLE SUBSEQUENT EVACUATION. WE PERFORMED A LOW-LEVEL FLY-BY WITH GEAR EXTENDED AT IND AND AFTER A POSITIVE EVALUATION OF NOSE GEAR INTEGRITY BY 3 DIFFERENT SOURCES; A SAFE LANDED ENSUED. MAINT PINNED NOSE GEAR AND WE TAXIED TO THE GATE UNDER OUR OWN PWR. NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR PROPERTY AND NO INJURIES OCCURRED. IN LIGHT OF THE RESULT; THERE ARE FEW THINGS I WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY. BOTH THE FO AND I WERE LOW TIME IN THE AIRPLANE. ALTHOUGH NOT LOW ON EXPERIENCE. COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT WAS IN EVIDENCE THE WAY THE WHOLE EMER WAS COORDINATED FRONT AND BACK. THE FO WAS AN INVALUABLE SOURCE OF IDEAS AND SUGGESTIONS; ALL OF WHICH WERE TAKEN TO HEART. THE FLT ATTENDANTS DID AND EXCELLENT JOB OF KEEPING PAX CALM AND BRIEFED. I FEEL MY OWN PERFORMANCE WAS SOMEWHAT SUB-PAR SINCE I WAS UP SINCE XA30 AM THAT MORNING AND COULDN'T FALL BACK TO SLEEP; BUT I GUESS IT ALL WORKED OUT OK. MAINT DISCOVERED WE'D THROWN PART OF THE CAP OFF THE TIRE IN BWI; AND THE REST OF IT CAME OFF IN IND. TIRE NEVER DEFLATED.