Narrative:

While on the takeoff roll at chatham, my aircraft slued sharply to the left at rotation (just prior). Due to the narrow runway and sufficient airspeed, I continued my takeoff. On climb out I reasoned that I might have taxied over a sharp object and the takeoff roll forced the tire to deflate. I notified flight service and proceeded towards hanscom field. This was my choice because hansom is my home base, has adequate maintenance facilities, has a long, wide runway, and has excellent crash rescue facilities. Upon reaching hanscom, I canceled my flight plan and advised the tower that I suspected a flat left tire. (The wheel part prevented me from viewing the tire.) I advised the tower that the emergency equipment was at their discretion as I would be making a precautionary landing. While arff positioned, the tower offered a fly-by to the left of runway 29. I did this at 500 ft AGL. The tower observed nothing abnormal so I opted to land. Approach was normal and the landing was successful. The maintenance chief of the FBO examined the plane at the ramp. A cursory examination revealed no obvious discrepancies. The incident was successfully concluded after I telephoned the tower at their request. Although the suspected flat did not appear, the grass parking area and subsequent taxi gave me reason to believe that the uncommanded lurch on takeoff was due to a damaged left main tire at chatham. I feel that I reacted appropriately due to the risk of a compromised landing gear. My request for a precautionary landing reflected the relative urgency of the situation. Hanscom AFB fire department should be commended for their prompt response to a suspected difficulty. (Fire department deployment was made at the request of the tower, although I did not object.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA SUSPECTS BLOWN TIRE. EMER LNDG.

Narrative: WHILE ON THE TKOF ROLL AT CHATHAM, MY ACFT SLUED SHARPLY TO THE L AT ROTATION (JUST PRIOR). DUE TO THE NARROW RWY AND SUFFICIENT AIRSPD, I CONTINUED MY TKOF. ON CLBOUT I REASONED THAT I MIGHT HAVE TAXIED OVER A SHARP OBJECT AND THE TKOF ROLL FORCED THE TIRE TO DEFLATE. I NOTIFIED FLT SVC AND PROCEEDED TOWARDS HANSCOM FIELD. THIS WAS MY CHOICE BECAUSE HANSOM IS MY HOME BASE, HAS ADEQUATE MAINT FACILITIES, HAS A LONG, WIDE RWY, AND HAS EXCELLENT CRASH RESCUE FACILITIES. UPON REACHING HANSCOM, I CANCELED MY FLT PLAN AND ADVISED THE TWR THAT I SUSPECTED A FLAT L TIRE. (THE WHEEL PART PREVENTED ME FROM VIEWING THE TIRE.) I ADVISED THE TWR THAT THE EMER EQUIP WAS AT THEIR DISCRETION AS I WOULD BE MAKING A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG. WHILE ARFF POSITIONED, THE TWR OFFERED A FLY-BY TO THE L OF RWY 29. I DID THIS AT 500 FT AGL. THE TWR OBSERVED NOTHING ABNORMAL SO I OPTED TO LAND. APCH WAS NORMAL AND THE LNDG WAS SUCCESSFUL. THE MAINT CHIEF OF THE FBO EXAMINED THE PLANE AT THE RAMP. A CURSORY EXAMINATION REVEALED NO OBVIOUS DISCREPANCIES. THE INCIDENT WAS SUCCESSFULLY CONCLUDED AFTER I TELEPHONED THE TWR AT THEIR REQUEST. ALTHOUGH THE SUSPECTED FLAT DID NOT APPEAR, THE GRASS PARKING AREA AND SUBSEQUENT TAXI GAVE ME REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THE UNCOMMANDED LURCH ON TKOF WAS DUE TO A DAMAGED L MAIN TIRE AT CHATHAM. I FEEL THAT I REACTED APPROPRIATELY DUE TO THE RISK OF A COMPROMISED LNDG GEAR. MY REQUEST FOR A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG REFLECTED THE RELATIVE URGENCY OF THE SIT. HANSCOM AFB FIRE DEPT SHOULD BE COMMENDED FOR THEIR PROMPT RESPONSE TO A SUSPECTED DIFFICULTY. (FIRE DEPT DEPLOYMENT WAS MADE AT THE REQUEST OF THE TWR, ALTHOUGH I DID NOT OBJECT.)

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.