Narrative:

At gate prior to departure, first officer advised that 1 lug nut was missing on 1 main wheel. He mentioned it in passing, and that he had seen this often on this aircraft type. As I am new on the plane, I accepted that casual remark and said we'd take care of it after the next leg. On discussing with the mechanic at the next stop, he said we shouldn't fly with missing lug nuts, even though there are about 20 holding the wheel on, as they are through-bolts, and without a nut the bolt could back out and do damage. After the education on lug nuts by the mechanic, I will always have the situation corrected prior to flight. The false sense of security I was lulled into, was also caused by my thinking the wheel bolts were tapped studs, like a car, and not through-bolts. I guess a little knowledge can be dangerous. As it turned out, no damage was done, the tire replaced, and we proceeded on our trip. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated there is no real maintenance history of these wheel half attachment bolts breaking at any abnormal frequency. The reporter has seen only 1 other incident and this was a write-up in the logbook and did not witness the event. The reporter stated an occasional bolt may break but it is still a rare incident.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FOKKER 100 WAS DISPATCHED WITH 1 MAIN WHEEL FASTENER BROKEN ON A MAIN WHEEL.

Narrative: AT GATE PRIOR TO DEP, FO ADVISED THAT 1 LUG NUT WAS MISSING ON 1 MAIN WHEEL. HE MENTIONED IT IN PASSING, AND THAT HE HAD SEEN THIS OFTEN ON THIS ACFT TYPE. AS I AM NEW ON THE PLANE, I ACCEPTED THAT CASUAL REMARK AND SAID WE'D TAKE CARE OF IT AFTER THE NEXT LEG. ON DISCUSSING WITH THE MECH AT THE NEXT STOP, HE SAID WE SHOULDN'T FLY WITH MISSING LUG NUTS, EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE ABOUT 20 HOLDING THE WHEEL ON, AS THEY ARE THROUGH-BOLTS, AND WITHOUT A NUT THE BOLT COULD BACK OUT AND DO DAMAGE. AFTER THE EDUCATION ON LUG NUTS BY THE MECH, I WILL ALWAYS HAVE THE SIT CORRECTED PRIOR TO FLT. THE FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY I WAS LULLED INTO, WAS ALSO CAUSED BY MY THINKING THE WHEEL BOLTS WERE TAPPED STUDS, LIKE A CAR, AND NOT THROUGH-BOLTS. I GUESS A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE CAN BE DANGEROUS. AS IT TURNED OUT, NO DAMAGE WAS DONE, THE TIRE REPLACED, AND WE PROCEEDED ON OUR TRIP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THERE IS NO REAL MAINT HISTORY OF THESE WHEEL HALF ATTACHMENT BOLTS BREAKING AT ANY ABNORMAL FREQUENCY. THE RPTR HAS SEEN ONLY 1 OTHER INCIDENT AND THIS WAS A WRITE-UP IN THE LOGBOOK AND DID NOT WITNESS THE EVENT. THE RPTR STATED AN OCCASIONAL BOLT MAY BREAK BUT IT IS STILL A RARE INCIDENT.

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.