Narrative:

At cruise FL310 a sudden very loud pop was heard in the cockpit followed by pieces of metal or plastic rattling or falling. Shortly after the pop a smell of hot rubber was noted by captain and first officer. A check of all system confirmed nothing wrong. Because of the rubber smell we suspected a blown nose tire. An emergency was declared with bwi approach requesting normal sequencing and emergency ground equipment and to perform a fly-by by tower for wheel visual inspection. Fly- by performed, no tire failure noted by tower or other air carrier flight at #1 position runway 36 dca. Vectored with gear down and performed normal landing. Tires checked by ground crew on taxi in everything normal. Emergency canceled, taxied to gate dca.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMER DECLARED FOR TWR FLY-BY AND GEAR CHK.

Narrative: AT CRUISE FL310 A SUDDEN VERY LOUD POP WAS HEARD IN THE COCKPIT FOLLOWED BY PIECES OF METAL OR PLASTIC RATTLING OR FALLING. SHORTLY AFTER THE POP A SMELL OF HOT RUBBER WAS NOTED BY CAPT AND FO. A CHK OF ALL SYS CONFIRMED NOTHING WRONG. BECAUSE OF THE RUBBER SMELL WE SUSPECTED A BLOWN NOSE TIRE. AN EMER WAS DECLARED WITH BWI APCH REQUESTING NORMAL SEQUENCING AND EMER GND EQUIP AND TO PERFORM A FLY-BY BY TWR FOR WHEEL VISUAL INSPECTION. FLY- BY PERFORMED, NO TIRE FAILURE NOTED BY TWR OR OTHER ACR FLT AT #1 POS RWY 36 DCA. VECTORED WITH GEAR DOWN AND PERFORMED NORMAL LNDG. TIRES CHKED BY GND CREW ON TAXI IN EVERYTHING NORMAL. EMER CANCELED, TAXIED TO GATE DCA.

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.