Narrative:

Shortly after departure from runway 34L in ZZZ, the ZZZ tower controller informed us we had lost a wheel on takeoff. In a very short period of time, we were told we had lost either the right outboard main gear wheel, the right inboard main gear wheel or even both right main gear wheels. I elected to stay in the local area and reduce fuel to an acceptable level (weight) for landing. The B737-300 does not have fuel dumping capabilities. Since I did not know the integrity, or even existence of the remaining wheel on the right side, I wanted to reduce the aircraft weight as much as possible for landing. We held outside the slc area for 2 hours. I realized that if we held for an extended period, we would be making an emergency landing, and quite possibly a passenger evacuate/evacuation after sunset. With this consideration, we held until the time we could make a low pass, get a visual inspection from the tower and return for landing just prior to sunset. The low pass was conducted and the ATC personnel, as well as air carrier X mechanics reported the right outboard wheel was intact, the inboard was missing. After the visual inspection, we returned for landing. The passenger had been instructed as to their conduct during the emergency landing. The approach and landing were uneventful. We had requested the crash fire rescue equipment vehicles to be standing by, and they approached the aircraft immediately after landing. The passenger were deplaned via the forward entry door, down a waiting airstair, onto the runway and were loaded into busses. The aircraft was towed to the maintenance hangar in slc where it was discovered that the main wheel bearing on the right inboard wheel had failed. The wheel departed the airplane, leaving the axle and tire brake assembly intact on the landing gear truck. There was absolutely no indication on takeoff roll that the wheel had failed. In fact, when the errant wheel was located, it too was intact and even still inflated. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated maintenance found the right main gear inboard wheel had the outer bearing fail. The reporter said the failed bearing was a B757-200 bearing which was installed improperly on a B737-300.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 ON TKOF ROLL HAD THE R MAIN GEAR INBOARD TIRE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLY DEPART THE ACFT CAUSED BY INCORRECT WHEEL BEARING INSTALLATION.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER DEP FROM RWY 34L IN ZZZ, THE ZZZ TWR CTLR INFORMED US WE HAD LOST A WHEEL ON TKOF. IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, WE WERE TOLD WE HAD LOST EITHER THE R OUTBOARD MAIN GEAR WHEEL, THE R INBOARD MAIN GEAR WHEEL OR EVEN BOTH R MAIN GEAR WHEELS. I ELECTED TO STAY IN THE LCL AREA AND REDUCE FUEL TO AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL (WT) FOR LNDG. THE B737-300 DOES NOT HAVE FUEL DUMPING CAPABILITIES. SINCE I DID NOT KNOW THE INTEGRITY, OR EVEN EXISTENCE OF THE REMAINING WHEEL ON THE R SIDE, I WANTED TO REDUCE THE ACFT WT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE FOR LNDG. WE HELD OUTSIDE THE SLC AREA FOR 2 HRS. I REALIZED THAT IF WE HELD FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD, WE WOULD BE MAKING AN EMER LNDG, AND QUITE POSSIBLY A PAX EVAC AFTER SUNSET. WITH THIS CONSIDERATION, WE HELD UNTIL THE TIME WE COULD MAKE A LOW PASS, GET A VISUAL INSPECTION FROM THE TWR AND RETURN FOR LNDG JUST PRIOR TO SUNSET. THE LOW PASS WAS CONDUCTED AND THE ATC PERSONNEL, AS WELL AS ACR X MECHS RPTED THE R OUTBOARD WHEEL WAS INTACT, THE INBOARD WAS MISSING. AFTER THE VISUAL INSPECTION, WE RETURNED FOR LNDG. THE PAX HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED AS TO THEIR CONDUCT DURING THE EMER LNDG. THE APCH AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. WE HAD REQUESTED THE CFR VEHICLES TO BE STANDING BY, AND THEY APCHED THE ACFT IMMEDIATELY AFTER LNDG. THE PAX WERE DEPLANED VIA THE FORWARD ENTRY DOOR, DOWN A WAITING AIRSTAIR, ONTO THE RWY AND WERE LOADED INTO BUSSES. THE ACFT WAS TOWED TO THE MAINT HANGAR IN SLC WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE MAIN WHEEL BEARING ON THE R INBOARD WHEEL HAD FAILED. THE WHEEL DEPARTED THE AIRPLANE, LEAVING THE AXLE AND TIRE BRAKE ASSEMBLY INTACT ON THE LNDG GEAR TRUCK. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO INDICATION ON TKOF ROLL THAT THE WHEEL HAD FAILED. IN FACT, WHEN THE ERRANT WHEEL WAS LOCATED, IT TOO WAS INTACT AND EVEN STILL INFLATED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED MAINT FOUND THE R MAIN GEAR INBOARD WHEEL HAD THE OUTER BEARING FAIL. THE RPTR SAID THE FAILED BEARING WAS A B757-200 BEARING WHICH WAS INSTALLED IMPROPERLY ON A B737-300.

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.