A DC8-62 AFTER 2 ABORTED TKOFS; DUE TO ABNORMAL FORWARD FUSELAGE NOISE; A HIGH SPD TAXI TEST WITH A TECHNICIAN ABOARD WAS ATTEMPTED TO ISOLATE THE NOISE WHICH RESULTED IN A L MAIN GEAR BRAKE AND TIRE FIRE.

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ON DEC/WED/99; WE WERE SCHEDULE TO DEPART ON A FLT TO BOGOTA; COLOMBIA (SKBO). WE BLOCKED OUT ON TIME AND TAXIED TO RWY 9L FOR A DEP. WE HAD TO ABORT THE TKOF DUE TO A LOUD NOISE IN THE COCKPIT ALONG WITH HVY VIBRATIONS. WE RETURNED TO THE RAMP AND WROTE THE ITEM IN THE LOGBOOK. IT TOOK MAINT QUITE A WHILE TO RELEASE THE AIRPLANE AGAIN; BUT THEY DID SO AFTER ALMOST 6 HRS OF WAITING. THEY CHANGED BOTH NOSEWHEEL TIRES AND SENT US ON OUR WAY. WE ATTEMPTED THE TKOF AGAIN BUT HAD TO ABORT AGAIN WITH THE SAME NOISE OCCURRING AT ABOUT 70 KTS. WE TOLD THE COMPANY THAT WE WERE COMING BACK TO THE RAMP. I AM NOT SURE WHO SUGGESTED IT; BUT IT WAS DECIDED TO DO A HIGH SPD TAXI CHK WITH A MECH ABOARD. HE BOARDED THE ACFT AND WE ATTEMPTED THE CHK; BUT THE NOISE DID NOT GO OFF. WE WERE GOING TO TRY AGAIN; BUT WE FELT THE BRAKES GETTING HOT; SO THE CAPT ASKED IF WE COULD CLR THE RWY. HE WAS TOLD TO TAXI DOWN THE RWY TO THE RAMP. HE THEN SAID THAT HE COULD FEEL THE BRAKES GETTING WORSE AND ASKED TO CLR IMMEDIATELY. WE DID; BUT SHORTLY AFTER THE TWR TOLD US THAT WE HAD A FIRE ON THE L GEAR. WE CALLED FOR THE FIRE EQUIP AND I EVACED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE NOISE HEARD BY THE CREW FROM THE FORWARD FUSELAGE AREA WAS DEFINITELY ABNORMAL ON BOTH TKOF ATTEMPTS. THE RPTR SAID LATER; ENTRIES IN THE LOGBOOK INDICATED THE FIX WAS RESOLVED WITH PARTS REPLACEMENT IN THE NOSE GEAR GND SHIFT MECHANISM. THE RPTR STATED WHEN THE TWR ALERTED THE CREW OF THE L MAIN GEAR FIRE THE RPTR EVACED THE ACFT BY THE ESCAPE ROPE WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER INCURRING AN ANKLE SPRAIN. THE RPTR SAID THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE FIRE DEPT. THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS OTS FOR 4 BRAKE AND TIRE CHANGES AND THE RPTED ABNORMAL NOISE.