B777 flight crew returns to gate after main gear tire lose pressure and is informed by airport autho...

Attributes
ACN	780013
Time
Date	200803
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bos.airport
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B777-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	780013
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	780001
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : eicas
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Airport
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

During normal taxi out for takeoff; got tire pressure EICAS message. #4 tire rapidly lost pressure. Returned to gate. During subsequent walkaround; gentleman from airport maintenance informed me that 2 taxiway lights were smashed along our taxi route and did we feel anything on taxi out. I believe we did not cause the damage but may have unwittingly taxied over some of the debris causing our flat tire. Inspection of the tire revealed no embedded glass on any tires and 1 small puncture on tire #4. Supplemental information from acn 780001: the synoptic came up on the screen and we saw that our #4 tire was indicating low pressure. We returned to the gate and; upon inspection of the tire; maintenance found a piece of FOD imbedded in the tire. Only tire #4 showed damage but both #3 and #4 were changed per procedure. First officer was approached by an airport employee on the ramp as to whether we felt anything during taxi. Neither I nor first officer recalled anything abnormal as to the taxi out. We had a jumpseater as well who noted nothing out of the ordinary regarding the turn.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777 FLT CREW RETURNS TO GATE AFTER MAIN GEAR TIRE LOSE PRESSURE AND IS INFORMED BY ARPT AUTH THAT TWO TAXI LIGHTS HAVE BEEN BROKEN ALONG THEIR ROUTE.

Narrative: DURING NORMAL TAXI OUT FOR TKOF; GOT TIRE PRESSURE EICAS MESSAGE. #4 TIRE RAPIDLY LOST PRESSURE. RETURNED TO GATE. DURING SUBSEQUENT WALKAROUND; GENTLEMAN FROM ARPT MAINT INFORMED ME THAT 2 TXWY LIGHTS WERE SMASHED ALONG OUR TAXI RTE AND DID WE FEEL ANYTHING ON TAXI OUT. I BELIEVE WE DID NOT CAUSE THE DAMAGE BUT MAY HAVE UNWITTINGLY TAXIED OVER SOME OF THE DEBRIS CAUSING OUR FLAT TIRE. INSPECTION OF THE TIRE REVEALED NO EMBEDDED GLASS ON ANY TIRES AND 1 SMALL PUNCTURE ON TIRE #4. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 780001: THE SYNOPTIC CAME UP ON THE SCREEN AND WE SAW THAT OUR #4 TIRE WAS INDICATING LOW PRESSURE. WE RETURNED TO THE GATE AND; UPON INSPECTION OF THE TIRE; MAINT FOUND A PIECE OF FOD IMBEDDED IN THE TIRE. ONLY TIRE #4 SHOWED DAMAGE BUT BOTH #3 AND #4 WERE CHANGED PER PROC. FO WAS APCHED BY AN ARPT EMPLOYEE ON THE RAMP AS TO WHETHER WE FELT ANYTHING DURING TAXI. NEITHER I NOR FO RECALLED ANYTHING ABNORMAL AS TO THE TAXI OUT. WE HAD A JUMPSEATER AS WELL WHO NOTED NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY REGARDING THE TURN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.

B777 flight crew returns to gate after main gear tire lose pressure and is informed by airport authority/authorized that two taxi lights have been broken along their route.