Flat Tire

[smccray]

Happened while taxiing.  Still not sure what happened.

[jetdriven]

looks like a flat tire to me

 

[sleepingsquirrel]

I agree. That's what happens to mine when the air goes out.

[smccray]

It was less than a month old changed by a pro.  New tire old tube.

[sleepingsquirrel]

Could have been pinched in the wheel.

[MooneyMitch]

Wow, that sucks!!  I hate it when that happens.   A wounded Mooney is no fun.  Hope all goes well with your next installation.

[FAST FLIGHT OPTIONS LLC]

You should always change the tube when you change the tire

[Piloto]

[Piloto]

Before installing the tube in the tire always check for any debris inside the tire. Many of the tires are stored together with other parts such as PK screws, rivets and overall debris from the warehouse. When tube is inflated inside a tire with debris the debris may punch the tube at the first landing.

José

[jwilkins]

It's been a month since you had the tire changed so it could be a puncture from FOD, debris in the tire when changed, or a pinched tube. If it blew out suddenly I'd tend to look for FOD on the runwy or taxiway puncturing the tire and tube.

A shop I know and trust told me that about a quarter of the time they see a pinched or folded tube when they change a tire. Most often the fold is not leaking but could over time. If the tube is actually pinched between the tire and the rim it will probably blow out eventually. My first Mooney had a couple small stones and twigs inside the tire. Fortunately the stones were not that sharp edged. They made an impression on both the tube and tire but did not leak. We found them when we replaced the tire which was just plain worn out.

It might be interesting to carefully examine the shreded remains to see if you can find the cause. It looks like there is not enough left to do much analysis with,  but still might be interesting.

Last week while parked on the ramp at KSNA my friend and I were picking up FOD from the ramp. Along with the 'normal' pebbles, cowl fasteners, and safety wire pieces we found two nails, two ball point pens, three sheet metal screws, and enough washers and odd parts to make a small pile. All within about 75 feet of the Mooney. I expect to see pebbles and aircraft parts on the ramp. The old rusty nails surprised me. We were parked over by the fence so the debris was probably blown into that corner by all the jets on the ramp. I'll bet the jets make a pretty good 'sweeper' for the main areas of the ramp and taxiways.

By the way, Signature at SNA was really top notch. 

Jim

 

[summitdawg]

Quote: jetdriven

looks like a flat tire to me

 

[KSMooniac]

Well, that sucks!  How did you get the plane back to your hangar?  Please let us know what the failure mode was when you do an autopsy.

I think owners are allowed to change tires, and it is really pretty easy.  I would've also used a new leak-stop tube when putting a new tire on there.

[fantom]

Michelin Airtights, put some baby powder in the tire, inflate the tube, rotate it a bit to make sure there are no folds, deflate some, and install on rim.

Don't taxi over tie down rings, large holes or other "stuff". Check tire pad condition when pushing or pulling plane. Check pressure every month, and you should get many years of wear.

[smccray]

So I've received a report from the IA that did the tire change.  Apparently the tube is torn by the valve stem.  Don Maxwell changed the tire about a month ago and apparently the tube was not changed.  Don said they frequently do tire changes without changing the tubes.  I didn't know what I didn't know, so I didn't even ask about the tube.  Didn't know about leak-stop tubes or airtights- but I believe we're back up and running.  The IA at Dallas Exec is doing a gear swing this afternoon to make sure that everything is okay after towing the plane.

The FBO moved the plane off the taxiway onto the ramp and eventually into their main hangar using a tug that picks up the whole wheel.  Instead of scooping up the nose gear, they used the tug on the left main and a towbar to help steer the plane.  The first 20-30 feet there was a small side-load on the right main; after we raised the left main on the tug a little higher the side load disappeared and all was well.

I would definately feel comfortable tackling a tire change with a little guidance, but work and family comittments made outsourcing this one an easy decision.

[lahso]

Bummer - same thing happened to me on a Saturday morning after landing in Nashville. Had a hole in the tube. A&P on the field changed it for a premium cost, cash only.