Narrative:

On takeoff from runway 8R in phx just prior to V1 I felt a vibration from the nose wheel. The aircraft continued to accelerate, we experienced no loss of directional control and all engine indications were normal. A normal takeoff was performed. The captain requested a check of the runway. He also contacted our air carrier dispatch and our maintenance coordinator. The aircraft was well above landing weight so the flight continued towards stl. We decided not to make an overweight landing. Approximately one hour into the flight we noticed the right hydraulic quantity had decreased to about 7 quarts. We accomplished the hydraulic fluid loss checklist. The leak stopped and we were able to save the right hydraulic fluid and pressure for the approach and landing. The captain was in contact with dispatch and maintenance many times during the flight. Approximately 1 hour outside stl we were informed by maintenance that portions of a nose wheel light, part of the nose wheel spray deflector and rubber from a nose wheel recap were found on runway 8R in phx. Part numbers indicated the spray deflector was from the right side, also there was only enough rubber to be from one tire. After making use of the resources available it was decided to land in st louis at a normal landing weight. We decided to request the emergency equipment and to have the cabin attendants prepare the cabin for the slight possibility of an evacuate/evacuation after landing. The cabin team was informed of the situation as details were available to us. About 45 mins the passengers were awakened and briefed by the captain on the situation. The flight attendants then began their duties. The flaps were lowered to 15 degrees on downwind. The right hydraulic system was repressurized and the gear lowered normally. An ILS to runway 12L in st louis was accomplished with a smooth touch down. The nose wheel was held off the runway until it settled smoothly onto the runway. The rollout was normal and the aircraft turned off the runway and taxied into the taxiway alpha-south holding area. Maintenance inspected the aircraft and then towed it to gate. During the flight, dispatch and maintenance were helpful and informative. The cabin team did an exceptional and professional job as did the captain. Supplemental information from acn 202609. The right nose gear tire a recap threw off its tread at V, approximately 142 KTS. The rubber separation tore off the spray deflector and caused a moderate vibration. The tire did not deflate and a normal landing was made without incident. Questions - do recap's fail more often than original manufacture tires? Are they safe and should they be used in scheduled air carrier operations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG LOSES RETREAD ON ONE NOSE WHEEL TIRE, CONTINUES FLT TO DEST AFTER ASSESSMENT OF ACFT CONDITION.

Narrative: ON TKOF FROM RWY 8R IN PHX JUST PRIOR TO V1 I FELT A VIBRATION FROM THE NOSE WHEEL. THE ACFT CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE, WE EXPERIENCED NO LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CTL AND ALL ENG INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. A NORMAL TKOF WAS PERFORMED. THE CAPT REQUESTED A CHK OF THE RWY. HE ALSO CONTACTED OUR ACR DISPATCH AND OUR MAINT COORDINATOR. THE ACFT WAS WELL ABOVE LNDG WT SO THE FLT CONTINUED TOWARDS STL. WE DECIDED NOT TO MAKE AN OVERWT LNDG. APPROX ONE HR INTO THE FLT WE NOTICED THE RIGHT HYD QUANTITY HAD DECREASED TO ABOUT 7 QUARTS. WE ACCOMPLISHED THE HYD FLUID LOSS CHKLIST. THE LEAK STOPPED AND WE WERE ABLE TO SAVE THE R HYD FLUID AND PRESSURE FOR THE APCH AND LNDG. THE CAPT WAS IN CONTACT WITH DISPATCH AND MAINT MANY TIMES DURING THE FLT. APPROX 1 HR OUTSIDE STL WE WERE INFORMED BY MAINT THAT PORTIONS OF A NOSE WHEEL LIGHT, PART OF THE NOSE WHEEL SPRAY DEFLECTOR AND RUBBER FROM A NOSE WHEEL RECAP WERE FOUND ON RWY 8R IN PHX. PART NUMBERS INDICATED THE SPRAY DEFLECTOR WAS FROM THE RIGHT SIDE, ALSO THERE WAS ONLY ENOUGH RUBBER TO BE FROM ONE TIRE. AFTER MAKING USE OF THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE IT WAS DECIDED TO LAND IN ST LOUIS AT A NORMAL LNDG WT. WE DECIDED TO REQUEST THE EMER EQUIP AND TO HAVE THE CABIN ATTENDANTS PREPARE THE CABIN FOR THE SLIGHT POSSIBILITY OF AN EVAC AFTER LNDG. THE CABIN TEAM WAS INFORMED OF THE SITUATION AS DETAILS WERE AVAILABLE TO US. ABOUT 45 MINS THE PAXS WERE AWAKENED AND BRIEFED BY THE CAPT ON THE SITUATION. THE FLT ATTENDANTS THEN BEGAN THEIR DUTIES. THE FLAPS WERE LOWERED TO 15 DEGS ON DOWNWIND. THE R HYD SYS WAS REPRESSURIZED AND THE GEAR LOWERED NORMALLY. AN ILS TO RWY 12L IN ST LOUIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH A SMOOTH TOUCH DOWN. THE NOSE WHEEL WAS HELD OFF THE RWY UNTIL IT SETTLED SMOOTHLY ONTO THE RWY. THE ROLLOUT WAS NORMAL AND THE ACFT TURNED OFF THE RWY AND TAXIED INTO THE TAXIWAY ALPHA-S HOLDING AREA. MAINT INSPECTED THE ACFT AND THEN TOWED IT TO GATE. DURING THE FLT, DISPATCH AND MAINT WERE HELPFUL AND INFORMATIVE. THE CABIN TEAM DID AN EXCEPTIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL JOB AS DID THE CAPT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 202609. THE R NOSE GEAR TIRE A RECAP THREW OFF ITS TREAD AT V, APPROX 142 KTS. THE RUBBER SEPARATION TORE OFF THE SPRAY DEFLECTOR AND CAUSED A MODERATE VIBRATION. THE TIRE DID NOT DEFLATE AND A NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE WITHOUT INCIDENT. QUESTIONS - DO RECAP'S FAIL MORE OFTEN THAN ORIGINAL MANUFACTURE TIRES? ARE THEY SAFE AND SHOULD THEY BE USED IN SCHEDULED AIR CARRIER OPS.

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.