THE TIRE ON A BA31 BLEW DURING LNDG. THE FO WAS THE PF; BUT THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY TOOK CTL WHEN THE ACFT BEGAN TO VEER SHARPLY TO THE L. WITH THE USE OF DEEP R REVERSE; THE CAPT WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CTL OF THE ACFT AND BRING IT BACK TO CTRLINE. THE ACFT WAS THEN EVACED ON THE RWY.

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NORMAL TOUCHDOWN 1300 FT DOWNFIELD; FO'S LNDG. ACFT BEGAN TO VEER INCREASINGLY FASTER TO L. I TOOK IMMEDIATE CTL OF ACFT AND USED DEEP R REVERSE; R BRAKE AND NOSEWHEEL STEERING. ACFT CAME WITHIN 24 INCHES OF DEPARTING RWY AND I BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A STOP CLOSE TO CTRLINE. FO XMITTED TO THE TWR THAT WE WERE EVACING AND REQUESTED CFR. HAD FO EVAC SLOWLY THROUGH THE MAIN DOOR. NO INJURIES AND ONLY TIRES (BOTH) AND RIM DAMAGE TO ACFT. SKID MARKS FROM BLOWN TIRE START AT 1300 FT DOWN AND CONTINUE DOWN FOR 2800 FT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CAUSE OF THE DIRECTIONAL CTL PROB WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY OBVIOUS TO THE CREW. AS THE ACFT BEGAN TO SLOW; THOUGH; THE CAPT BEGAN TO CLUE IN ON THINGS; ESPECIALLY WHEN THE FO STATED THAT THE BRAKES WERE LOCKED. HE BEGAN TO RECOGNIZE A SCENARIO SIMILAR TO WHAT HE HAD RECEIVED IN SIMULATOR TRAINING -- A BLOWN TIRE. THE RPTR (CAPT) BELIEVES THAT THERE IS ABOUT A 10 PERCENT CHANCE THAT THE BLOWOUT WAS RELATED TO THE NEW RWY SURFACE AND THE FACT THAT THE RIDGES (RUNOFF CTL) MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PROPERLY FINISHED. THE GREATER CHANCE IS WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF A DEFECTIVE TIRE. THE TIRE BLEW OUT FROM THE SIDEWALL AND THE TIRES ON THIS ACFT WERE ALSO NEARLY BRAND NEW. THE CLINCHER IS THAT THE BLOWOUT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ANY PROB IF BRITISH AEROSPACE HAD EQUIPPED THIS ACFT WITH A TWIN WHEEL MAIN GEAR DESIGN INSTEAD OF A SINGLE-WHEEL.