Narrative:

On takeoff roll with the copilot flying the airplane, excessive left rudder was required to maintain directional control. Aborted takeoff at approximately 65 KTS. Since the airspeed was slow and only light braking was used, we attempted another takeoff -- same result except we attained higher speed in attempt to gain more effective rudder control. Heavy braking must have been used because when we returned to the gate the brakes were hot (left main) and after parking the left main tire blew. With a change of aircraft, another takeoff was attempted with the same result. After returning to the gate, maintenance requested we make a high speed taxi down the runway with no passenger. This time directional control was normal so we reboarded passenger and flew iad-ewr with normal takeoff. After considering all the factors, I have concluded that the problem was caused by a technique I have been using with the nose wheel steering on takeoff. In the initial stage of takeoff roll I use the nose wheel steering to maintain directional control until the rudder becomes more effective. This technique is a carryover from one I used on the large transport, but I now believe it is inappropriate on the widebody transport and that inputs from the nose wheel steering was causing the aircraft to pull to the right and the copilot was correcting with left rudder.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC ON WDB MADE 2 REJECTED TKOFS, WENT TO RAMP, TIRE BLEW. CHANGED ACFT, MADE REJECTED TKOF, RETURNED TO RAMP. DEPLANED PAX. WITH MAINT PERSONNEL ABOARD MADE HIGH SPEED RUN, NO PROBLEM. LOADED PAX AND MADE NORMAL TKOF.

Narrative: ON TKOF ROLL WITH THE COPLT FLYING THE AIRPLANE, EXCESSIVE L RUDDER WAS REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CTL. ABORTED TKOF AT APPROX 65 KTS. SINCE THE AIRSPEED WAS SLOW AND ONLY LIGHT BRAKING WAS USED, WE ATTEMPTED ANOTHER TKOF -- SAME RESULT EXCEPT WE ATTAINED HIGHER SPEED IN ATTEMPT TO GAIN MORE EFFECTIVE RUDDER CTL. HVY BRAKING MUST HAVE BEEN USED BECAUSE WHEN WE RETURNED TO THE GATE THE BRAKES WERE HOT (L MAIN) AND AFTER PARKING THE L MAIN TIRE BLEW. WITH A CHANGE OF ACFT, ANOTHER TKOF WAS ATTEMPTED WITH THE SAME RESULT. AFTER RETURNING TO THE GATE, MAINT REQUESTED WE MAKE A HIGH SPEED TAXI DOWN THE RWY WITH NO PAX. THIS TIME DIRECTIONAL CTL WAS NORMAL SO WE REBOARDED PAX AND FLEW IAD-EWR WITH NORMAL TKOF. AFTER CONSIDERING ALL THE FACTORS, I HAVE CONCLUDED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY A TECHNIQUE I HAVE BEEN USING WITH THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING ON TKOF. IN THE INITIAL STAGE OF TKOF ROLL I USE THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CTL UNTIL THE RUDDER BECOMES MORE EFFECTIVE. THIS TECHNIQUE IS A CARRYOVER FROM ONE I USED ON THE LGT, BUT I NOW BELIEVE IT IS INAPPROPRIATE ON THE WDB AND THAT INPUTS FROM THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING WAS CAUSING THE ACFT TO PULL TO THE R AND THE COPLT WAS CORRECTING WITH L RUDDER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.