A JS41 CREW LOST A L MAIN INBOARD TIRE ON DEP.

Narrative

AFTER A NORMAL TAXI TO AND TKOF FROM RWY 23L; TWR INFORMED US THAT A LCL FBO RPTED WHAT APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN SOMETHING FALL OFF OUR ACFT AND THAT MORE INFO WOULD BE FORTHCOMING. MOMENTS LATER; TWR RELAYED THAT WHAT APPEARED BY A WITNESS TO HAVE FALLEN OFF WAS A TIRE. WITH THIS INFO WE DECLARED AN EMER WITH OUR INTENTIONS TO RETURN FOR LNDG. AS TWR PREPARED FOR OUR RETURN AND TO ALLOW US TIME TO COMPLETE VARIOUS CHKLISTS (INCLUDING ONE FOR ANTISKID OP); INFORM THE FLT ATTENDANT; PAX; AND BURN OFF FUEL; WE REQUESTED A RADIO PATCH THROUGH ACR OPS TO OUR DISPATCH IN ZZZ. AFTER DISCUSSING OUR PROB WITH DISPATCH; WE AGREED THAT DECLARING AN EMER AND LNDG IN RDU WAS THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION. WE FLEW A GEAR DOWN LOW OBSERVATION PASS DOWN RWY 23L SO TWR AND VARIOUS OBSERVERS (INCLUDING ANOTHER ACR J41 CREW) COULD CHK THE GEAR FOR A MISSING TIRE. THE CREW RELAYED THAT THE L INBOARD MAIN TIRE WAS MISSING. WE THEN MADE PREPARATIONS FOR AN EMER LNDG USING NORMAL AND GEAR UNSAFE CHKLISTS (NO CHKLIST FOR TIRE MISSING IS AVAILABLE). DISPATCH WAS BRIEFED OF OUR INTENT TO LAND ON RWY 23R; THE LONGER OF THE 2 RWYS. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY; ROLLED TO THE PARALLEL TXWY AND SHUT DOWN AT XA05. CFR; ACR PERSONNEL AND CONTRACT MAINT WERE ON SCENE. WE DEPLANED PAX TO AN AWAITING BUS. MAINT DETERMINED ACFT WAS SAFE TO TOW TO ACR GATES INFORMING US THAT THE WHEEL HAD FALLEN OFF DUE TO A BROKEN AXLE. AT ACR OPS; WE CALLED MR X IN THE TWR FOR HIS RPT ALONG WITH CALLS TO DISPATCH AND THE CHIEF PLT'S OFFICE; PER ACR OPS MANUAL REQUIREMENTS. I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION TO THE CTLRS ON DUTY FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING HANDLING OF OUR FLT; TO THE EXCEPTIONALLY HELPFUL ACR STATION PERSONNEL AND ESPECIALLY TO MRS Y WHOSE QUICK THINKING AND RESPONSE MAKE HER THE REAL HERO OF THE DAY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 512895: AFTER TKOF FROM RWY 23L IN RDU; HEADED FOR IAD; TWR ADVISED US THAT A LCL FBO EMPLOYEE RPTED TO HAVE SEEN A TIRE FALL OFF OUR ACFT SHORTLY AFTER TKOF. WE DECLARED AN EMER AND STATED OUR INTENTION TO RETURN TO THE FIELD. AFTER RUNNING VARIOUS CHKLISTS; BRIEFING THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX; DISPATCH AND US DECIDED THAT RETURNING TO RDU WAS THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION. DURING A LOW APCH TO RWY 23L THE MISSING OF THE L INBOARD MAIN TIRE WAS CONFIRMED BY TWR AND A COMPANY ACFT. FOR THE FINAL LNDG WE BRIEFED AN ILS TO A VISUAL APCH FOR RWY 23R (THE LONGER RWY) AND THE MINIMAL USE OF BRAKES (ANTISKID INOP). WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AND ROLLED OFF THE RWY ONTO THE PARALLEL TXWY; WHERE WE ORDERLY SHUT DOWN AND DEPLANED THE PAX ONTO AN AWAITING BUS. ATC CTLRS AND FBO PERSONNEL MADE THIS SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME POSSIBLE AND MADE IT ONCE AGAIN OBVIOUS THAT A SUCCESSFUL FLT IS ALWAYS A TEAM ISSUE OF FLT AND GND PERSONNEL. THE CAUSE OF WHAT WAS LATER DETERMINED A BROKEN AXLE AND LOSS OF THE TIRE; HUB AND ATTACHED WHEEL ASSEMBLY WAS METAL FATIGUE. CRACKS AT THAT POINT ARE NOT PREFLTABLE AND SHOULD BE COVERED IN A MAINT PROC.