Upon touchdown the left tire came off the wheel of a C-172. The pilot managed to maintain control and was towed from the runway.

Narrative

The Tower cleared me to land on Runway 11. With a crosswind from 080 at the time; I landed slightly wing low and on the left main wheel. Immediately; the tire rolled off the rim and I maintained control of the aircraft as it veered toward the left of the runway. I recall thinking about what was wrong; looking out the left window; and asking my passenger to look out the right. I applied substantial right rudder while also turning the yoke to the right to maybe get some lift out of the left wing. I was towed from the runway to the ramp where I changed the flat tire and tube for one of my spares. I then flew the aircraft back to my home base.After examination of the tire and tube; I found a 5/16 inch radial crack/split on the cross section of the tube. From the size of the crack I believe the tire went flat during the 15 minute flight between airports. My reasoning is that the size of the crack/split would not be adequate to vent the internal tube volume in the time between touchdown and the seconds it took for the tire to roll off the rim to the flat position. No damage to the aircraft or wheel/rim assembly took place.