Narrative:

We departed bwi with the anti-skid system on MEL (system inoperative). Just after gear retraction, tower called us and told us we had lost a wheel on takeoff. There were no indications of a problem in the cockpit. I requested clearance to hold at 3000 ft while we analyzed the problem, and indicated we were declaring an emergency and would be returning to bwi. I also asked for all information available as to what pieces and/or parts were on the runway. I notified company of our problems and intentions and requested maintenance information about the wheel and any other parts when found. I informed the passenger and requested lead flight attendant to report to the cockpit where we discussed our problem and I indicated what actions I wanted the flight attendants to take, including passenger briefings, stowage of items, review of emergency landing and evacuate/evacuation, and special briefing of passenger near emergency exits. At this time, the copilot and I reviewed the aircraft handbook for information relating to the loss of a wheel. There was none. We reviewed several sections dealing with gear problems on landing and then reviewed the emergency evacuate/evacuation procedures. The runway sweep turned up no missing parts, and the wheel was recovered from a wooded area and examined by our maintenance people. I was told the wheel appeared to be the right outboard main gear wheel and it appeared to be a clean separation. I then lowered the gear (normal indications) and sent the copilot back to look through the gear viewing lens. His report was the remaining wheel looked normal and that he could see no obvious other damage. We were ready and the cabin team reported ready, so we commenced on approach to runway 33 at bwi. Clear sky, clean and dry runway, wind favorable at 10 KTS. At the OM, the 'B' hydraulic system failed. I executed a missed approach and then went through the procedures and checklists for 'B' hydraulic failure. We then initiated another approach. The touchdown was smooth and I used minimum braking and reverse thrust to slow the aircraft. We exited the runway on a taxiway about 7000 ft down the runway, parked the aircraft and shut down the engines. The crash rescue team told us no fire or smoke and otherwise ok. I told the passenger everything was safe and that they would shortly deplane using portable stairs and return to the terminal in a bus. Post incident analysis indicated the main wheel bearing had failed (wheel was installed 1 week prior). The hydraulic failure was unrelated and resulted from a line being chafed by a clamp. I've heard of several instances of wheel loss. I don't know how often this happens, but it seems as if we should have some information in the handbook, and should have some indication in the cockpit as to landing gear wheel inflation status. I know some aircraft do have an inflation/temperature monitoring system. Perhaps some research should be done as to the feasibility of installing a monitor system on all transport category aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB MALFUNCTION MANDATES A RETURN LAND.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED BWI WITH THE ANTI-SKID SYS ON MEL (SYS INOP). JUST AFTER GEAR RETRACTION, TWR CALLED US AND TOLD US WE HAD LOST A WHEEL ON TKOF. THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF A PROB IN THE COCKPIT. I REQUESTED CLRNC TO HOLD AT 3000 FT WHILE WE ANALYZED THE PROB, AND INDICATED WE WERE DECLARING AN EMER AND WOULD BE RETURNING TO BWI. I ALSO ASKED FOR ALL INFO AVAILABLE AS TO WHAT PIECES AND/OR PARTS WERE ON THE RWY. I NOTIFIED COMPANY OF OUR PROBS AND INTENTIONS AND REQUESTED MAINT INFO ABOUT THE WHEEL AND ANY OTHER PARTS WHEN FOUND. I INFORMED THE PAX AND REQUESTED LEAD FLT ATTENDANT TO RPT TO THE COCKPIT WHERE WE DISCUSSED OUR PROB AND I INDICATED WHAT ACTIONS I WANTED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO TAKE, INCLUDING PAX BRIEFINGS, STOWAGE OF ITEMS, REVIEW OF EMER LNDG AND EVAC, AND SPECIAL BRIEFING OF PAX NEAR EMER EXITS. AT THIS TIME, THE COPLT AND I REVIEWED THE ACFT HANDBOOK FOR INFO RELATING TO THE LOSS OF A WHEEL. THERE WAS NONE. WE REVIEWED SEVERAL SECTIONS DEALING WITH GEAR PROBS ON LNDG AND THEN REVIEWED THE EMER EVAC PROCS. THE RWY SWEEP TURNED UP NO MISSING PARTS, AND THE WHEEL WAS RECOVERED FROM A WOODED AREA AND EXAMINED BY OUR MAINT PEOPLE. I WAS TOLD THE WHEEL APPEARED TO BE THE R OUTBOARD MAIN GEAR WHEEL AND IT APPEARED TO BE A CLEAN SEPARATION. I THEN LOWERED THE GEAR (NORMAL INDICATIONS) AND SENT THE COPLT BACK TO LOOK THROUGH THE GEAR VIEWING LENS. HIS RPT WAS THE REMAINING WHEEL LOOKED NORMAL AND THAT HE COULD SEE NO OBVIOUS OTHER DAMAGE. WE WERE READY AND THE CABIN TEAM RPTED READY, SO WE COMMENCED ON APCH TO RWY 33 AT BWI. CLR SKY, CLEAN AND DRY RWY, WIND FAVORABLE AT 10 KTS. AT THE OM, THE 'B' HYD SYS FAILED. I EXECUTED A MISSED APCH AND THEN WENT THROUGH THE PROCS AND CHKLISTS FOR 'B' HYD FAILURE. WE THEN INITIATED ANOTHER APCH. THE TOUCHDOWN WAS SMOOTH AND I USED MINIMUM BRAKING AND REVERSE THRUST TO SLOW THE ACFT. WE EXITED THE RWY ON A TXWY ABOUT 7000 FT DOWN THE RWY, PARKED THE ACFT AND SHUT DOWN THE ENGS. THE CRASH RESCUE TEAM TOLD US NO FIRE OR SMOKE AND OTHERWISE OK. I TOLD THE PAX EVERYTHING WAS SAFE AND THAT THEY WOULD SHORTLY DEPLANE USING PORTABLE STAIRS AND RETURN TO THE TERMINAL IN A BUS. POST INCIDENT ANALYSIS INDICATED THE MAIN WHEEL BEARING HAD FAILED (WHEEL WAS INSTALLED 1 WK PRIOR). THE HYD FAILURE WAS UNRELATED AND RESULTED FROM A LINE BEING CHAFED BY A CLAMP. I'VE HEARD OF SEVERAL INSTANCES OF WHEEL LOSS. I DON'T KNOW HOW OFTEN THIS HAPPENS, BUT IT SEEMS AS IF WE SHOULD HAVE SOME INFO IN THE HANDBOOK, AND SHOULD HAVE SOME INDICATION IN THE COCKPIT AS TO LNDG GEAR WHEEL INFLATION STATUS. I KNOW SOME ACFT DO HAVE AN INFLATION/TEMP MONITORING SYS. PERHAPS SOME RESEARCH SHOULD BE DONE AS TO THE FEASIBILITY OF INSTALLING A MONITOR SYS ON ALL TRANSPORT CATEGORY ACFT.

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.