A B737-800 FLT CREW EXPERIENCED A TIRE FAILURE ON TAKEOFF WHICH THEY CONFIRMED WITH A FLYBY OF THE TOWER. THEY DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND RETURNED TO THE DEP ARPT TO LAND.

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ON TKOF ROLL AT ABOUT 125 KTS; NOTED SLIGHT BUT INCREASING AIRFRAME VIBRATION. CONTINUED TKOF. UNCERTAIN OF THE CAUSE; BUT CONCERNED IT COULD BE TIRE RELATED. DECIDED NOT TO RAISE THE LNDG GEAR. WAS ADVISED BY DEP THAT SMOKE AND DEBRIS WAS OBSERVED COMING ROM THE LNDG GEAR DURING TKOF. DECLARED AN EMER. GOT CONFLICTING RPTS ABOUT THE LOCATION OF THE DAMAGE SO FLEW BY THE TWR TO GET CONFIRMATION. TWR CONFIRMED THE L INBOARD TIRE WAS SHREDDED. BURNED DOWN FUEL TO MAX LNDG WT AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG WITH MINIMAL DIRECTIONAL DIFFICULTIES. STOPPED STRAIGHT AHEAD ON THE RWY AND CONFIRMED NO MAJOR DAMAGE WITH THE FIRE CHIEF. TAXIED TO THE GATE; SHUT DOWN AND DEPLANED. POSTFLT INSPECTION REVEALED MINOR DAMAGE TO INBOARD FLAP AND FUSELAGE. LESSONS: TIRE FAILURE CAN BE VERY SUBTLE AND MISLEADING. MY INITIAL ASSESSMENT WAS THAT THE PROB WAS WITH THE NOSE GEAR AND MAYBE JUST A BAD SHIMMY. GND WITNESS ACCOUNTS INITIALLY CONFUSED THE SITUATION. ONLY THE TWR FLY-BY CONFIRMED THE FACTS SO THAT WE COULD TAKE THE PROPER ACTION. DON'T RUSH TO JUDGEMENT IF TIME PERMITS A MORE CALM AND METHODICAL APCH. DON'T CHANGE CONFIGN IN AN UNCERTAIN SITUATION UNLESS NECESSARY. GOOD CALL NOT TO RETRACT THE GEAR BUT WE RETRACTED THE FLAPS FROM 1 DEG BASED ON MY BELIEF THE PROB WAS WITH THE NOSE GEAR. IN HINDSIGHT; WE SHOULD HAVE LEFT THE FLAPS AT 1 DEG UNTIL THE FINAL APCH TO LNDG BECAUSE THEY HAD SUFFERED SOME DAMAGE FROM THE MAIN TIRE FAILURE I DID NOT SUSPECT. DECIDED NOT TO ARM AUTO SPD BRAKES. TURNS OUT THE PF MADE A VERY SMOOTH LNDG AND THE AUTO DEPLOY FEATURE COULD HAVE CAUSED A SIGNIFICANT TRAUMA TO THE GOOD TIRE PUTTING IT AT RISK FOR FAILURE. IN MY OPINION; MANUAL DEPLOYMENT WAS A BETTER CHOICE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 803036: WE ELECTED TO BURN DOWN FUEL TO GET BELOW MAX GROSS WT. THE LNDG WAS MADE AT APPROX 142000 LBS. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL WITH NO INJURIES OR ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. THE FIRE CHIEF CHKED THE ACFT ON THE RWY; AND WE WERE ABLE TO TAXI TO THE GATE WITHOUT INCIDENT. COMMENTS: USE OF A SINGLE RADIO FREQ TO TALK TO TWR AND THE FIRE CHIEF WAS OUTSTANDING. ALSO; THE TWR CREW WAS VERY HELPFUL IN OUR TROUBLESHOOTING DURING THE FLY-BY.