Narrative:

On takeoff roll at dtw on runway 21C at dtw, my first officer and I felt what we thought may have been bottoming out of the nosewheel strut, but it was hard to tell with the runway condition being what it is. The flight to slc was uneventful. Upon arriving at slc, we were cleared for a visual approach to runway 34L. The aircraft touched down smoothly (rolled on), at which time my first officer said nice touch. As I lowered the nosewheel to the runway it suddenly became obvious we had lost 1 or more of our nosewheel tires due to the excessive vibration of the nosewheel. I kept the pressure off the nosewheel as long as possible, the aircraft tracked straight down the runway. We taxied off the runway (midfield) slowly and stopped, the tower was advised and sent out cars to check the runway and our nosewheel. Maintenance was notified and the company maintenance examined the tire and said it was ok to taxi to the gate as it still was full of air. Logbook filled out indicating this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 CREW ON TKOF ROLL SUSPECTS NOSE STRUT BOTTOMING AND ON LNDG ACFT HAS EXCESSIVE VIBRATION OF NOSE GEAR CAUSED BY THE L NOSE TIRE THROWN THREAD.

Narrative: ON TKOF ROLL AT DTW ON RWY 21C AT DTW, MY FO AND I FELT WHAT WE THOUGHT MAY HAVE BEEN BOTTOMING OUT OF THE NOSEWHEEL STRUT, BUT IT WAS HARD TO TELL WITH THE RWY CONDITION BEING WHAT IT IS. THE FLT TO SLC WAS UNEVENTFUL. UPON ARRIVING AT SLC, WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 34L. THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN SMOOTHLY (ROLLED ON), AT WHICH TIME MY FO SAID NICE TOUCH. AS I LOWERED THE NOSEWHEEL TO THE RWY IT SUDDENLY BECAME OBVIOUS WE HAD LOST 1 OR MORE OF OUR NOSEWHEEL TIRES DUE TO THE EXCESSIVE VIBRATION OF THE NOSEWHEEL. I KEPT THE PRESSURE OFF THE NOSEWHEEL AS LONG AS POSSIBLE, THE ACFT TRACKED STRAIGHT DOWN THE RWY. WE TAXIED OFF THE RWY (MIDFIELD) SLOWLY AND STOPPED, THE TWR WAS ADVISED AND SENT OUT CARS TO CHK THE RWY AND OUR NOSEWHEEL. MAINT WAS NOTIFIED AND THE COMPANY MAINT EXAMINED THE TIRE AND SAID IT WAS OK TO TAXI TO THE GATE AS IT STILL WAS FULL OF AIR. LOGBOOK FILLED OUT INDICATING THIS.

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.