Narrative:

On pushback, the wingwalker noticed that the nose tire's pressure was low. We came back and called contract maintenance. We went down to inspect and saw that it was low. It wasn't obviously low though, even when I was looking right at it. My preflight walkaround was in the dark and rain. Those are good excuses for missing a low tire, but I think even if it had been day/dry it would have been easy to miss. Looking back at my walkaround procedures, I think if I would have gotten off the nose at a distance and looked at the overall appearance instead of walking close to the tires primarily looking at tread wear, I would have noticed the low tire. Even though it was dark and wet, I don't believe I hurried my inspection. In fact, those are the times you need to look more closely.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN LGT RETURNED TO THE GATE AFTER PUSHBACK BECAUSE GND PERSONNEL NOTICED LOW NOSEWHEEL TIRE PRESSURE. THE ACFT RECEIVED TIRE AIR PRESSURE SVC.

Narrative: ON PUSHBACK, THE WINGWALKER NOTICED THAT THE NOSE TIRE'S PRESSURE WAS LOW. WE CAME BACK AND CALLED CONTRACT MAINT. WE WENT DOWN TO INSPECT AND SAW THAT IT WAS LOW. IT WASN'T OBVIOUSLY LOW THOUGH, EVEN WHEN I WAS LOOKING RIGHT AT IT. MY PREFLT WALKAROUND WAS IN THE DARK AND RAIN. THOSE ARE GOOD EXCUSES FOR MISSING A LOW TIRE, BUT I THINK EVEN IF IT HAD BEEN DAY/DRY IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EASY TO MISS. LOOKING BACK AT MY WALKAROUND PROCS, I THINK IF I WOULD HAVE GOTTEN OFF THE NOSE AT A DISTANCE AND LOOKED AT THE OVERALL APPEARANCE INSTEAD OF WALKING CLOSE TO THE TIRES PRIMARILY LOOKING AT TREAD WEAR, I WOULD HAVE NOTICED THE LOW TIRE. EVEN THOUGH IT WAS DARK AND WET, I DON'T BELIEVE I HURRIED MY INSPECTION. IN FACT, THOSE ARE THE TIMES YOU NEED TO LOOK MORE CLOSELY.

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.